Business With the CIA
by Peace-Love-Yaoi
Summary: Neji is the prized Member of the Hyuuga Criminal organization. Shikamaru is a CIA agent trying to take them down. When these two team up sparks fly and Shikamaru may become more than just Neji's handler. Shika/Neji/Shika Rated M For a Reason!
1. Chapter 1

"Master Neji!" One of the servants waited at the gate to the Hyuuga Compound as he returned from his latest assignment: stealing an original Van Gogh that a wealthy client had offered to pay a heinous amount of money for.

"What is it?"

"The Elders have requested an audience with you."

Neji sighed and sent the servant away, then hurried to the parlor where the Elders held council with members of the Hyuuga Family. Calling them a family was a bit of a stretch; although they were related, the Hyuuga Elders and members of the family had more of a master/servant relationship. Something Neji found a bit archaic, especially in these modern times. When he arrived, he found all six of the Hyuuga Elders waiting for him, sitting on one side of a large conference table, looking smug. Neji got a sense that he wasn't going to like whatever they had to say. He sat in one of the chairs positioned across from them and waited to be addressed.

"Neji, pride of our…family, we have something for you."

Neji wanted to frown, but stilled his face into a blank mask. "Of course. Do you have another assignment for me already?"

"No. It's actually more of a gift, of sorts."

Neji couldn't hold back a frown at that; the Elders didn't give gifts. Ever. "I am honored. May I ask the occasion?"

"You have always been fond of Hinata, have you not?"

"_What have you done to her?"_ The venom in his voice was undeniable.

"Watch your tone young man! Remember to whom you are speaking!"

Neji didn't respond, but nodded his agreement.

An Elder at the end of the table motioned for a servant. "Bring Hinata out."

Neji was unconsciously holding his breath, trying to remain still. The servant led Hinata out with one hand on her elbow and the other clasped firmly in her hand. Neji was puzzled by this. Servants were never allowed to touch members of the family. Then Hinata opened her eyes, and Neji gasped. His eyes met hers; her eyes now matched his, white as snow with no discernible pupil. Unlike his eyes however, hers were unfocused, blank and unseeing. He felt tears prick at the back of his eyes; how could they have done this to sweet innocent Hinata?

"Neji... is that you?" She reached her hands out searching for him. He stood up from his chair and grasped her outstretched palm between his own. He brought her hand to his cheek and held it there.

He cleared his throat and said, "Yes Hinata, it's me." She smiled and embraced him.

"I was so frightened... and the pain, it was unbearable." She mumbled into his shoulder.

One of the Elders snorted at Hinata's statement and Neji saw red. He released Hinata from their embrace, but still held her hand.

"You unimaginable monsters think it's funny do you? Well, I don't see any of you walking around with these eyes! What the fuck were you thinking? She isn't a member of the Branch, so why did you do this?"

All the Elders looked very offended. "We thought that you would appreciate this gift. You were always the one to suffer, while she was put on a pedestal far away from any danger. Apparently you have no sense of humor", sniffed one of the Elders.

Neji gritted his teeth and practically growled at them, "I have put up with your fucking antics and games all my life, and never complained as long it was only me who suffered from your torture! But now you have brought Hinata into this and made her suffer unimaginable pain for no reason and you expect me to think it's funny? Well, I have a joke for you. I am out of here and I am taking her with me. You can try to stop me but you never will. You all know very well that I am the most skilled operative you have. All of your men couldn't stop me if they tried."

Neji glared coldly at the council members sitting with shocked looks. They all knew what he said was true; there was no one who could even come close to Neji. "Maybe you shouldn't have trained me quite so well if you were planning on screwing with the people I love."

Neji turned and left the Elders screaming after him. He led Hinata along with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Both her small hands were clutching his shirt, afraid that if they were separated that she would be attacked. He hurried them to the exit as quickly as he dared with Hinata's new blindness making her stumble almost every other step. When they reached the exit there were about a dozen men blocking the doors. Neji stopped and glared at them.

"Are you going to let us pass or am I going to have to make you move?"

"We have our orders, and we are to stop you using any necessary force."

Neji really didn't want to fight them. A lot of them were his friends, but if they stood in his way then he had no other choice. Neji removed Hinata's hands and pushed her behind him.

"Stand back Hinata, I don't want you getting hurt."

The first one attacked him, trying to catch him with a left hook. Neji could tell that this man was a boxer; his low center of gravity gave him away immediately. Neji dodged and faked a punch to the abdomen, but as his attacker lowered his arms to protect his stomach Neji brought his other fist up and connected a solid punch to his windpipe. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes. The others all decided that attacking him as a pack would work better. Neji smiled. These men were only hampering themselves as they got in each other's way. Neji took the first to reach him out with a hard elbow to the temple; the second got a kick to the chest. He took them out quickly and efficiently, never giving any of them time to reach Hinata.

Neji reached for Hinata, who squeaked in terror when Neji touched her. After assuring her that it was him and that he was unharmed he led her past the unconscious bodies of his attackers. The front doors were on lockdown, and frankly looked like something that might be used by NASA. However, Neji was a professional and he hacked the control panel in three minutes and twelve seconds. Not his personal best, but he was under a great deal of strain, so he let it slide. They escaped the compound and headed for Neji's silver Porsche, which thankfully hadn't been put in the garage. Neji drove away with a screech of black tire marks on the street. There was only one place to go; he rented an apartment on the other side of town under an assumed name. He knew that this cover would only last a few days with an organization as large as the Hyuuga coming after them.

Neji pulled up to the apartment complex and stashed the car in one of the underground units. He led Hinata up to his penthouse, staying alert in case someone had recovered quickly enough to follow them. It looked as if they had gotten lucky; there was no interference on their way up. When they reached his apartment, Neji sat Hinata on the couch and fetched a glass of water for her from the state-of-the-art kitchen. The penthouse was quite an affair, all glass and chrome. It was modern to the extreme, and looked almost menacing for the lack of color. Neji was glad Hinata couldn't see it; he feared the austere setting might only frighten her more. He sat on the coffee table across from her and watched as she sipped her water and tried to appear calm. He let his knees brush against hers, letting her know that he was still there.

"N-Neji… what are we g-g-going to do?" she sobbed, clutching her glass of water until her knuckles turned white.

"I will take care of you Hinata. You know that, right?"

She nodded.

"Okay. I need a plan."

Neji put his head in his hands as though holding his skull might stuff all his wondering thoughts into order. Okay, simply running from the Hyuuga wasn't possible. Their reach was worldwide, and there was nowhere he and Hinata could hide where they wouldn't eventually be found. Which meant that Neji was going to have to take out the Organization before Hinata would ever truly be safe. But he knew couldn't do it alone. Luckily there was someone else that hated the Hyuuga as much as him… and that just might work. For his plan to be effective however, he would have to get back into the clan's good graces, which was going to be… painful.

The next day Neji drove back to the Hyuuga compound and braced himself for what was going to happen next. He approached the doors and guards came out; he let them restrain him and check for weapons before he was led to the parlor. The Elders sat in their chairs looking smug; their prized pony had come home so soon. Neji reluctantly took up the submissive pose, bowing to them. "My behavior yesterday was inexcusable, and I would like to apologize and ask your forgiveness on behalf of Hinata and myself."

"Where is our precious Hinata?" one of the Elders hissed.

"She is safe, and I would like to ask permission to keep her with me at an apartment I have rented. She is rather frightened and traumatized."

The Elders tittered amongst themselves for a few minutes, even though they all knew that there was no choice but to accept Neji's demands. His skills were too valuable to be wasted. Finally one of them addressed him.

"You are willing to accept your punishment as well as hers without complaint?"

"Yes wise elders, I have wronged you and deserved to be reprimanded. I find it only fair that I accept the punishment for Hinata, as she was only following me."

"I believe you are familiar with 'the brand'?"

Neji winced, then nodded his head. The Elders all had wide smiles on their faces. _Everyone loves a punishment._ Neji had hoped in vain that he would get any other punishment - bamboo shoots under the fingernails; water-boarding; anything but 'the brand'. Luck, however, was not on his side, and he was lifted by his armpits and led to the room where all of the punishments were meted out. Neji was freed from his restraints and stripped of his shirt before being strapped face-down on a wooden slab. The straps were tight enough so that he couldn't move and ruin the brand. Neji had received this punishment before, so he knew it would hurt twice as much on his already-scarred skin. The brand was about as wide across as a woman's shoulders and looked like an 'X' with a line on either side.

"You will receive two rounds, one for you and one for Hinata. Each will be ten seconds, is this understood?"

Neji nodded, bracing himself for the torture that he was going to endure. He heard the metal cattle-brand being pulled out of the flames, and sneezed when the stench of hot metal reached his nose. The brand was applied to the pale skin across his shoulders with a sickening sizzle. Neji made it through the first round without as much as a whimper passing his lips. His back was throbbing and burning and he could smell his melted flesh. His gag reflex kicked in, while he was convincing his body that throwing up was a bad idea the brand was heated up again. This time he wasn't ready and when the red-hot metal made contact with his ravaged skin, a traitorous scream tore past his lips. He was unstrapped from the table and allowed a few minutes alone to compose himself. After throwing up in the conveniently-placed toilet, he shuffled to the sink, filled his hands with ice cold water and tried as best as he could to cool the cauterized skin. He was officially back on the Hyuuga's good side; now it was time to implement stage two of his plan.

The Elders thanked Neji for his service and had one of their medics treat his back before he left. They informed him that he needed to return in one week for his next assignment. He bowed to them and told them how honored he was that they had chosen to forgive for his insolence, and then left with his spine straight and his head up. He refused to let them know how much pain he was in, even as the weight of his white button-up shirt made him feel as though all the skin on his back was being scraped off with a rusty spoon.

The Hyuuga now trusted Neji, and that was vital to the success of his plan. He drove his car to a small garage he rented monthly and swapped it for a plain white Honda Accord that he kept for situations like this - when he needed to blend in. He pulled out of the garage and headed toward his final destination - CIA Headquarters.

He parked his car at a diner a few blocks away from the building he was headed for, then pulled on a hoodie and tucked his tell-tale locks inside; he put on sunglasses to hide his eyes and quickly jogged to the building. He made it through the security point then pulled off his modest disguise, freeing his long locks and uncovering his eyes. His attention was immediately drawn to a man with a spiky ponytail who looked as though he were seconds from being literally bored to death. The man's hands were tucked into the pockets of his black trousers and he was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his elbows. He was talking to a cheery-looking rotund man. As though he sensed his presence the man turned and his black eyes locked with Neji's own white ones. The man froze, and then pulled himself up to full height; his lazy demeanor gave way to a commanding presence and Neji couldn't help but be intrigued.

_I think someone recognizes me…_ thought Neji to himself.

"Now, what business could Neji Hyuuga have at CIA Headquarters?"

Neji didn't have time to stand around and chat with this man; he was either going to help or he wasn't. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage; you are?"

"Agent Shikamaru Nara. What is your business here?"

"I am going to help you bring down the Hyuuga Organization", Neji announced.

The man snorted a laugh. "Yeah right. Hyuuga don't flip sides; we have seen enough suicides from the organization to know that."

"Would you like to know why?"

"Sure, why don't you tell me?" The sarcasm in his voice pissed Neji off.

"Hyuuga children are raised like warriors. From the time that they are children they are taught that snitching is a sin. They are taught that if anyone is ever caught, that suicide is a better option than what you would receive from the family when they found you."

"Alright I'm interested, but I still don't trust you."

Agent Nara led Neji through the building until they arrived at the interrogation rooms. Neji snorted at how cliché the room appeared - concrete floors, plain white walls and a metal table and chairs in the middle; there was even the big mirror on the wall.

"Take a seat. I will be right back."

Neji sat, assuming that the man was going to get his boss. A few minutes later Nara returned, accompanied by a big man with a neatly-trimmed beard.

"I'm Sarutobi Asuma. My agent here tells me that you say that you want to bring down the Hyuuga."

Neji met his eyes and nodded. "Your agent is correct."

"May I ask what caused such a change of heart?"

Neji knew that one was coming. "If you must know, I will tell you. I am sure that you are aware of who Hinata Hyuuga is."

Both agents nodded.

"She was forced to undergo the 'Byakugan Procedure' as some kind of sick joke to the Elders."

"We don't know much about it, we have only heard of it a handful of times, and no one wants to say anything more on the subject. This operation is the reason that the members have white eyes, yes? Can you tell us more about this 'Byakugan Procedure'?"

"I don't know all of the specifics. It is a procedure that enhances vision. An average person with perfect eyesight has 20/20 vision, but after the procedure that person's vision would be closer to 40/20.

They could see twice as far and their vision is twice as accurate, it even allows them to see perfectly at night. However it is a very painful and extremely risky operation, and as a side-effect it strips any and all pigment from the eyes. Although it looks like there isn't a pupil, there still is, it is just too small to see without optometry equipment. It leaves two out of three people blind, and when that happens the Elders declare those individuals no longer useful to the family and they are executed."

Both agents looked appalled. "You people do that to your own family?" Agent Sarutobi asked.

Neji glared and stood, slamming his palms down on the table. "You know what? Fuck you! I never should have come here." He turned and took three long strides toward the door.

"No, wait! Don't go!" Agent Nara called. He gripped Neji's shoulder trying to stop him.

Neji gasped; he felt rushing in his ears and his knees buckled under him. He pulled away from that hand and tried to force himself to stay conscious. Both agents looked on, shocked and confused at this turn of events. Neji pushed himself up off the floor and turned toward the agents with a glare.

"You act so high and fucking mighty; you have _no_ idea what it's like to grow up in that god-forsaken compound. You think you understand what I have been through? You couldn't even imagine the things I have to do to keep myself and Hinata safe. You wanna know what it's like, well I'll show you!" Neji unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it away from his burnt skin. He pulled his hair to the front and turned his back to them.

Both of them gasped at the sight of his destroyed shoulders.

"So fuck this, I am out of here. This was a mistake." Neji pulled his shirt back up and buttoned it as he rushed toward the exit. Shikamaru caught up to him as he rounded the first corner. He grabbed Neji's hand and tried to stop him, but Neji ripped his hand free and turned toward the agent. "Don't you fucking touch me."

"Please come back. He didn't mean what he said. It is just shocking, you must understand. Please?"

Neji eyed the desperate look on the other's face. "Fine, but this is your last chance. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by leaving here. You had better remember that."

He was led back to the interrogation room. Asuma was still there, and he faced Neji. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Neji nodded to him and took his seat. "Any more questions?"

Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Neji had been answering questions for hours, and was ready to wrap things up. Shikamaru had assured him that they were almost through.

Asuma let Shikamaru take the lead this time. "What can you tell us about the structure of the organization?"

"I plead the fifth. Until I am granted immunity there is no way I am incriminating myself in anything."

Shikamaru looked to Asuma who grumbled. "Fine, I will go and get the okay from the director."

Asuma came back and there was much very boring paperwork. When Neji was satisfied he sat back and continued.

"The Hyuugas are set up like a pyramid. At the top we have Hiashi Hyuuga and his nightclub 'Cream'. That is where all the business deals go down, but they know how to cover their asses so there is no way you will ever find enough evidence to support a warrant. Underneath him are the Elders; they are the six oldest members of the family and they control everyone and everything excluding Hiashi. Next we have what has been dubbed 'The Branch'; all Hyuugas are given martial arts training from the age of four. Those who show the most promise are inducted into 'The Branch' at the age of seventeen. At that time they must undergo the Byakugan Procedure, which is done by a man named Kabuto Yakushi. Those who survive get one year of intense training on everything they need to know to fulfill any jobs they are assigned. The last and largest group consists of members of the family who aren't part of 'The Branch'; in fact most of them don't even know about it. This is the most crucial part of the Hyuugas' cover; they can claim to be just any other family with a martial arts background."

"You are a member of 'The Branch'?"

"Yes."

"What kind of training do they give you during the year after your induction?"

"Like I said, they teach you anything you need to know. Weapons, disguises, computers, they teach you how to blend in and how to stick out, accents, sex…everything."

"Uh… sex?"

Neji smirked at the Nara's blush. "Oh yes," Neji practically purred. "Seduction is one of the best weapons you could have at your disposal. When someone does business with you, they keep you at a distance and never allow you to get close enough to hurt them. But if someone thinks you wanna fuck, they would happily let you straddle them while you slit their throat." Neji sat back in his seat with a smile. Shikamaru cleared his throat and adjusted his position, which only made Neji smile wider.

Shikamaru looked back at him with hard eyes; his posture read all-business. "So, this is how it's going to go. You are going to be assigned a handler, and you will meet with them routinely. When the Hyuugas send you on a mission we will give you a counter-mission. The most important thing is that you never give them any clue that you are working against them."

"Okay. Who is my handler?"

Asuma chimed in, "Agent Nara will be your handler since he was already on the case."

They gave Neji a cell phone that he could use to reach them when he had new intel or was assigned a mission. Neji left and hurried back to his garage to switch cars before he headed to his apartment to check on Hinata. He found her in the kitchen, slowly feeling her way around. Neji smiled, glad that she felt safe enough to wander about. He greeted her, then sat her down at the counter while he made a quick dinner and told her about what happened, skimming over the punishment given to him by the Elders. After he ran out of things to say, he finally broached the subject on his mind. "I was thinking that maybe we could take you to a doctor and see if there was anything they could do about your sight. Would you be okay with that?"

Hinata smiled softly at him. "Yes, I know that there isn't much hope, but I think I would like to try."

Neji sat a bowl in front of her and helped her wrap her hands around it. She still hadn't mastered using silverware yet, so he had made a simple soup that she could sip from her bowl. They ate in comfortable silence, and after dinner Neji did some research into doctors who specialized in Optometry. A few calls and the promise of a donation to a clinic later, he convinced one of them to squeeze Hinata in for an appointment the next day.

After Neji got off the phone he looked over at Hinata and noticed that she was asleep. He picked her up and carried her to his spare bedroom. He tucked her in and left, leaving the door ajar so he could hear her if she called out to him. Neji went to the master bedroom and undressed so he could assess his wounds. He eyed his scorched shoulders with a frown. Neji had always been a quick healer; already brown scabs had formed over the majority of the brand mark. By this time next week, the last of the scabs would be coming off, leaving a paper-thin layer of pink skin in their wake.

Neji took a cold shower, letting the water soothe the burning and aching of his shoulders. After he got out, he took some painkillers and slathered burn ointment over the cauterized skin as best he could. He managed to get a few hours of sleep despite the crippling pain in his shoulders. He was roused at 7:15 when he heard Hinata calling out meekly. He hopped out of bed and rushed to her side, grasping her hand and soothing her by telling her that she was okay, and that he was going to take care of her. He helped her up and escorted her to the kitchen. After he sat her down on the same stool from the night before, he asked her what she wanted for breakfast.

"Umm… Something sweet I think."

Neji busied himself around the kitchen whipping up a batch of pancakes for her. He cut them into strips, poured the syrup into a small bowl and grabbed a container of strawberries. He sat them in front of her and showed her where each item was. As she ate, he went to her bedroom and pulled some clothes from a suitcase the servants had insisted he take when he left the compound. When she was done eating he led her to the bathroom, showed her the layout and gave her the clothes, leaving her to shower and get ready while he cleaned the kitchen and dressed.

They arrived at the clinic on time and Hinata was led right in. The doctor examined Hinata's eyes, and viewed them with a lineup of devices. "I am sorry to inform you, but this condition is irreversible."

"Can't you do something?" Neji asked.

"I am afraid that there is nothing to be done sir. There is damage beyond repair to her retinas."

Neji and Hinata left feeling rather depressed. Neji assured her that they wouldn't stop looking, someone out there could help. The rest of their week passed in a blur of doctors and disappointment. Finally the day came when Neji had to report back to the Hyuuga Elders for his next assignment.

Neji headed into the Hyuuga Compound, thoughts of his CIA contact filling his thoughts. For some reason he felt a small thrill at the prospect of seeing him again.

Neji was brought to the parlor and found himself staring down the six Elders once again.

"Neji, thank you for joining us, we don't have time for idle chatter so let's get to the point. We have another assignment for you. There is a man in Tokyo with a disk that we would like you to retrieve."

"May I inquire what is on the disk? In case I need to identify it?"

"This disk holds material of interest to some very influential politicians. Blackmail material if you will, and we wish to possess it. The man's name is Shiranui Genma and he is the owner of seven or so nightclubs in Japan."

Neji soaked up all the information and started making a list of contacts in his mind that he needed to call. "Give me three days and you will have your disk."

"Very well Neji, we will see you in three days."

Neji started making calls as soon as he left the parlor. He needed intel on this man, and he knew a few people who were willing to help him out for the right price. When he got to his car, he pulled out the cellphone the CIA had given him and called Agent Nara. They arranged a meet at a garage where Neji kept his cars. Neji called a nurse staffing agency and arranged to have one sent to his house to watch over Hinata for the weekend. His first stop was at the apartment to tell Hinata that he had to go on a mission and that he had arranged to have someone stay with her while he was gone. Then he drove to one of his storage units for cash and trip supplies. On his way to meet Shikamaru he received a call from his informant in Tokyo. Apparently Shiranui Genma enjoyed male prostitutes. Neji was relieved to hear this; he really hated dressing as a woman. It seemed that his contact got him in as a prostitute for Friday; he would be getting a bonus for that. His mind put the finishing touches on his plan as he arrived at his garage. Shikamaru was already there waiting, leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. Neji had to admit that the man was sexy silhouetted against the backdrop of the orange sky and setting sun. He got out of his vehicle and walked over to join the Nara, silently sweeping the area for anything suspect.

"Good evening, Agent Nara."

"Hello Hyuuga. So tell me about the mission."

"I have to steal a disk full of blackmail material from a man in Tokyo named Shiranui Genma. I already have his location and a way in. What's my counter-mission?"

"I will be accompanying you there and back; you will retrieve the disk and on the way back you and I will construct a decoy disk. The Hyuugas get the decoy, and you get a job well done."

"Sounds like a plan, Nara."

"Indeed Hyuuga."

The next day Neji and Shikamaru boarded a plane using false passports and headed to Japan. They took their seats and settled in for a long flight. Shikamaru slept for most of the flight, but during their brief discussions Neji learned that the Nara actually wasn't bad company. He had a dry wit and knack for sarcasm that Neji genuinely enjoyed. When they finally reached Japan, there was a car waiting for them courtesy of the CIA. It drove them to a hotel where they could stay the night. Neji was surprised to find that it was actually a nice place, something he might even have chosen himself. Neji knew he had to go shopping before the mission, since he had no clothes to make him look like a prostitute. Shikamaru declined an invitation to join him, and Neji set out to some of the higher-end shops to find something appropriate… or inappropriate as it were.

When Neji returned, he was shocked to find all of the equipment had been set up and the Nara was not alone anymore: there were five other agents meandering around doing things that looked important. Neji shrugged, took his things to his room, and had a shower. When he emerged he found Shikamaru sitting on his bed. Neji was suddenly aware that he was wearing nothing but a towel, and his hair swung gently around his body dripping on the carpet. Shikamaru eyed him with a strange look that was quickly covered by the mask of bored indifference that usually took up residence on his handsome features. Neji stealthily checked out the Nara. He was wearing another dress shirt, but this one was gray and with black slacks.

"What time are you scheduled to meet?"

"Ten o'clock sharp. I am meeting him at his penthouse."

"We are ready; we want you to wear an earpiece that doubles as a microphone. That way we can give assistance if you need it."

"I suppose I can handle that."

"Good. You had better get ready, it's already nine." Shikamaru left the earpiece sitting on the bed and walked out of the room.

Neji sat down on his bed. He could still smell the Nara's clean scent. Neji smirked as an idea popped into his head.

Neji blow-dried his hair, making it extra-shiny. He applied a modest amount of eyeliner and just enough mascara to darken his eyelashes, but not enough to make him look like a female. He pulled out his outfit and put it on, eyeing himself critically in the mirror. He was wearing super low-cut jeans that exposed the band of his black underwear and a too-tight sleeveless black button-up that left a one-inch slice of his abdomen exposed above the waistband of his jeans. He looked fucking hot. He slipped his cell phone into his pocket and put in the earpiece. When he walked out he was met with silence; he looked up then, only to find all the agents eyeing him with looks that ranged from hunger to disdain. He was drawn by black eyes that were wrought with thinly-disguised lust; Neji smirked and pushed his hands into his pockets, forcing his low-slung jeans to hover dangerously close to over-exposure. "Come on people, haven't you ever seen a guy dressed as a whore before?"

As soon as Neji left the hotel room he heard Shikamaru in his ear giving him tips on the mission. "This isn't my first time Nara. If you don't shut up I am taking this damn thing out."

The dialogue ceased.

Neji walked over to the apartment building across the street. Suddenly the choice of hotel made a lot more sense. He introduced himself as a guest of Mr. Genma and was allowed to pass and directed to the penthouse.

When the elevator doors to the penthouse opened he was met by a large security guard who unceremoniously patted him down checking for weapons, as though Neji could hide weapons in an outfit that tight. He was finally led to the master bedroom where he was met by a man who was surprisingly very handsome; Neji wondered why a man this good-looking would bother with prostitutes. He had to find a way to get behind Genma so that he could reach the pressure point to knock him unconscious without leaving a mark, but there was no way that Genma was gonna bottom.

"Well well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" Genma practically growled.

"Thank you. I have to say, you're not too bad yourself", Neji replied silkily.

"What should I call you my pet?"

"You can call me Shikamaru."

"Yeah Hyuuga, real fucking funny", Neji heard though his earpiece; he couldn't help but smirk at that.

"What would you like me to call you?"

"Hmm… usually I go with Sir, but you are so delicious I think you can call me Daddy."

"Okay… Daddy", Neji purred.

"Take off your clothes; I want to see my prize."

"Of course, Daddy." On the other end the agents heard the rustle of clothes as Neji stripped. Shikamaru told himself that he was _not_ turned on, and he definitely was _not_ jealous. When Neji was fully exposed Genma approached him, and when he was behind Neji he pushed Neji's hair away.

"What is this on your back?"

Shikamaru panicked, trying to think up an excuse to feed Neji, but Neji cranked out an answer as smooth as he pleased. "That's my brand, Daddy. A long time ago this mark was given to slaves; nowadays it's the symbol of a _true_ submissive."

Genma growled in approval and attacked Neji's neck. "Oh fuck, you're gonna make me cum so hard."

Neji moaned as Genma's hands started playing with his nipples. He hadn't expected to be so turned on by this. God he was such an exhibitionist. "Mmnn… Daddy?"

"Yes, my pet?"

"Can I rim you… please?"

Genma groaned into Neji's shoulder. "You really are a submissive aren't you? Okay, I suppose I can allow that."

Neji smiled. "Thank you, Daddy."

Neji removed himself from Genma's grip and made his way behind him. He pulled Genma's back to his front and pushed his fingers into the right spot. Genma fell to the floor in a heap.

"Goodnight Daddy."

Neji threw his clothes back on, ran over to the desk and picked the lock with a hairpin. He retrieved the disk and slipped it into the back of his jeans. He locked the desk and ran to the door, putting on the most panicked face he could. "Oh my god! He passed out! Call an ambulance!"

The bodyguards pushed their way into the room and Neji slipped past them with a smirk. He called the elevator, which luckily still hadn't left the floor.

"How was that?"

His question was met with silence, and he frowned. "Hello?"

On the other end Shikamaru was trying unsuccessfully to convince himself that he was _not_ ridiculously turned on, that he did _not_ in fact have a boner from listening to Neji call another man 'Daddy'- but most of all he absolutely, positively, irrefutably was NOT jealous!

"Hey Nara, I think this thing is brok-" Neji began, walking into the room and pulling out his earpiece until he was met with unanimously shocked faces.

"What?"

Suddenly everyone was very busy leaving. Neji headed to his room and was preparing for another shower when heard Shikamaru's voice behind him.

"I think you went a little overboard there, Hyuuga."

"I got the disk didn't I?" Neji asked, pulling it out and handing it to Shikamaru.

"Yeah, and scared the hell out of the whole tech team."

"Ooh! Gay sex so frightening!"

"I don't think it was the gay sex, I think it was all that 'Daddy' business."

"Well, regardless of what you may think, I am not some big-nelly-bottom waiting for a strong top to protect me. That was for the mission, and don't you forget it."

Neji glared. This man may be hot, but Neji didn't take shit from anyone.

"I'll keep it in mind", Shikamaru said as he turned and left.

Neji glared at his back, telling himself that he did _not_ find the Nara revoltingly sexy, that the tent he was sporting was from Genma and _not_ Shikamaru, and that he did _not_ want to chase that smug bastard down and jump his bones.

The trip back was uneventful; Shikamaru rendered some images and put them on a new disk. The two men talked and joked along the way, each of them enjoying the other's company. When they arrived, Neji headed straight for the Hyuuga compound. He was led to the parlor as usual, and as usual the Elders were waiting. He presented the disk to them, and after a review of the pictures they decided that they were photo-shopped. However, they still gave Neji a job well done for his efforts and let him leave.

Neji rushed home to check on Hinata. He found her sitting with her nurse Sakura at the piano, trying to figure out all the keys again. He was glad that Hinata was getting used to normal life again.

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	3. Chapter 3

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Hinata was out with Sakura, who had taken a liking to the blind girl and was trying to get her to spend time outside the house. Neji was thankful for the pink-haired nurse, since he would have been overwhelmed without her help. Neji wasn't going to tell her this, but she knew, especially considering how much he paid her. She had been able to quit all other assignments to free up her time just for Neji and Hinata.

Neji was glad that things with Hinata and the Hyuuga were starting to settle down. He was never the type who craved drama or attention, so the last few weeks had begun to wear on him. Thankfully there were a few days before his next assignment, and Neji was using that time to rest up and consider his position inside both the Hyuuga organization and the CIA.

Neji was quite aware that most of the agents hated him. He understood however that they viewed him as a murderer and a thief. To be honest, they weren't entirely wrong. Neji had killed many people and stolen his fair share of priceless treasures.

Neji also couldn't help but let his mind wander to his handler. The man was sexy, but Neji didn't get the impression that the other knew it. The man threw off waves of intensity like nobody's business. Neji wondered what that powerful body would look like sprawled out on his bed, hair undone and eyes glazed with pleasure. Or maybe down on his knees with a mouthful of Neji's cock. Would he make needy sounds, or would he bite his lip and hold them all in?

Neji's body was responding to his less-than-innocent thoughts of the Nara, forcing blood to his groin. He didn't like the idea of jacking off to the image of his handler, so he turned his thoughts away from the dangerous territory, suddenly wishing he had a mission so he could get out of his apartment and away from the sexy images his mind was creating.

His wish was granted a few minutes later when he heard his phone ring and saw that is was none other than Rock Lee on the other end. Neji smiled. Neji had been best friends with Lee for years, and occasionally Lee would call Neji when he needed help or information for a mission.

It took a lot to impress someone like Neji Hyuuga, but he truly respected Lee's skills. The man's martial arts prowess rivaled Neji's own. However, Lee worked mostly as an assassin, and Neji held a great deal of respect for someone who could kill so efficiently and emotionlessly.

Outside of work Rock was a happy, well-adjusted twenty-four year old male. But Lee was one of the most brutal assassins Neji had ever seen. He was the type of guy who could blow a man's head off, then turn around smiling, still covered in blood and ask you about the weather. It was a skill that not even Neji had mastered - killing still made him sick to his stomach after all this time. Lee had once been a gangly awkward youth, but time and training had shaped him into a strong, intelligent and handsome man. Neji flipped his phone open, curious what the other could need from him.

"Well, if it isn't Rock Lee. What can I do for you?"

"I need a favor."

"Anything for a friend. When can we meet?" 

"I am at your door right now."

Neji smirked and hung up to make his way to the front door.

"How do you know about this place?"

Neji took in the appearance of his best friend. Lee was wearing a green t-shirt and camouflage cargo shorts. He still sported a Bieber-style haircut and Neji couldn't help but think Lee looked like he should be on a beach somewhere.

"The nursing agency where Hinata's nurse works."

Neji made a note to destroy those records. "So what do you need help with?" he asked, opening the door wider to allow Lee to enter.

"I need your help with a job."

The way Lee said 'job' made Neji realize exactly what kind of mission it was. "I don't know Lee. You know I don't do assassinations for anyone other than the Hyuuga."

"I know. But this guy isn't one of the usual suspects. His name is Sai. He is a well-known assassin, and-"

"A real piece of work from what I hear", Neji interrupted. Sai was well-known in certain circles as someone who would take any job for a price. The man even accepted hits put out on women and children, which even for assassins was a big no-no.

"Will you help me?"

"Fine, but only this once."

"There you go Neji! That's the ticket!"

"I find your enthusiasm disturbing."

"Whatever Neji; you need to grab life by the horns while you are still young! Youth is fleeting, and it won't last forev-"

"Enough with the youth speech; I have heard it a million times already. Do you have a plan for the job?" Neji bit out with faux annoyance. He had always found Lee's buoyancy charming, mostly because it was so different from his own demeanor.

"First we will have to find him; he is good at covering his tracks. The man is a ghost."

"Damn. What did he do to garner all this attention anyway?"

"He robbed one of Orochimaru's banks."

Neji winced. Orochimaru was a cold heartless criminal that killed anyone who got in his way. The man had more money than god, and he coveted it mercilessly. "Bad idea. Did he do it on his own or did someone hire him?"

"There are rumors going around that one of the Akatsuki may have hired him. So are you in?"

"Yeah. I will use some connections of mine that might be able to give us a lead on Sai's whereabouts."

"I think I may also have a few contacts that might be helpful."

The next day Lee called Neji and told him that he had gotten a bead on Sai from a contact in New York, and made plans to fly out the next morning.

Neji felt slightly guilty for not telling Shikamaru where he was going, but this job had nothing to do with the Hyuuga. He knew he was rationalizing, but he was already headed to the airport. Neji was allowed to have a life, and he didn't have to inform the CIA every time he went somewhere.

However he had told the Hyuuga Elders where he was going so they wouldn't call him for any missions. They didn't like their members doing outside jobs, but they understood that occasionally Neji had to perform favors to stay viable in his line of work.

As young and tacky as Lee portrayed himself, he was a hard worker and took his assignments very seriously. So as soon as Neji boarded Lee's private plane, they were down to business. By the time the plane arrived in New York, they had a solid strategy. Neji had even set up a drop for the weapons he and Lee would need. As far as Lee and Neji had been able to estimate, there was only one place where they could get to Sai. They would have to break into his hotel while he slept, which was not going to be an easy feat. A paranoid man like Sai would have top-of-the-line security, and breaking in was going to involve some quick work on Neji's part.

After their arrival, the two of them caught a cab and headed to the warehouse where their weapons were waiting. Tenten, a well-known assassin-cum-arms dealer and longtime acquaintance of Neji's, had definitely held up her end of the bargain - the weapons and ammo were top of the line.

Neji was on high alert as they entered the warehouse – no one in the business could be trusted. He didn't trust Lee, and knew that Lee wasn't naive enough to trust him either. As it turned out, there was a small tracker sewn inside the edge of one of the bags. Neji cut out the device and left it on the table with a note addressed to Tenten. There were several people who wanted Neji dead, and he didn't blame Tenten for considering collecting the reward for information about him. It was simply his way of life, and she knew that he would do the same to her.

There was no one in Neji's life that was truly loyal to him - except Hinata, which was why Neji was willing to risk everything to save her. There wasn't anyone else in his life that truly cared whether he lived or died; no one who would put their life on the line to save his. And though it made Neji sad to admit, it was true. He had once believed that he was loved, and that his lover would lay down his life for him, but that had been a lie. Once bitten twice shy as they say, and Neji still had the scar on his chest from the bullet wound that had broken his heart in more ways than one. He would never trust anyone like that again - not after him; not after... _Itachi_.

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Lee and Neji decided to make their move that night, before Sai got wind of their presence and fled. Once darkness fell, the assassins donned their standard black gear and holstered their weapons. Lee was going over the plan again; making sure that Neji was clear on the details as the Hyuuga wove his hair into a French braid. Neji knew the hairstyle was feminine, but it kept his hair out of his face and prevented him from leaving any hair behind that the authorities could use as evidence.

When Neji finished, he and Lee headed out and climbed on the motorcycles Lee managed to borrow from someone. Neji turned the bike on and revved it up, loving the sensation of the powerful motor. He loved motorcycles; there was something innately sexual about the feel of all that horsepower trapped between your thighs. He smiled as he flipped it into drive and took off, leaving black tire marks on the street and a cloud of smoke in his wake.

Lee managed to catch up to him a few blocks later and they sped across town, weaving in and out of traffic. People on the street heard the growl of an engine followed by a blur whipping past them, too fast to see any particular details.

They parked their bikes about half a block from the luxe building and trekked the rest of the way on foot. Sai's apartment was on the 6th floor, so they were going to have to go through the building to get there. Lee had already studied the blueprints, so he led them easily to the service entrance. Neji picked the lock, and they jogged to the elevator that was used by the maids and staff. Lee had arranged their arrival simultaneously with the shift change so the hallways would be empty. Neji pulled a small rectangular device from his pocket that would cause interference with the camera in the elevator and flipped it on.

They reached Sai's suite in no time; the two of them listened at the door. When they heard nothing Neji picked the lock quietly and the two of them slipped inside. As Lee closed the door, there was a 'POP!' and he fell to the floor.

Neji saw a small needle sticking out of Lee's neck. _Why would they use tranquilizers instead of bullets?_ he thought, slipping into a defensive stance. There was little light in the room; Neji could make out the shapes of furniture past the entryway, but had no idea where his foe was hiding.

Neji's mind was racing. _How did he know we were coming? Where is he? Who would set up a trap like this? Why isn__'__t he doing anything? Where the FUCK is he?!_

Neji pulled his gun from its holster and flattened himself against the wall behind a tall plant.

"Neji Hyuuga, you can come out. I am not going to hurt you; my orders are only to give you a message."

The monotone drawl came from somewhere in the main room.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I could have just killed you and your companion but I didn't, because my orders were only to disable you and to deliver my message."

"Who sent you?" Neji asked. "This seems a rather complicated way to send a message. Hasn't your boss heard of the post?"

"Well, he needed to make an impact with his statement; to be sure you heard it. And to give you a glimpse of how far his reach extends."

"Damn it, _who sent you?_"

"You are as beautiful as he said you would be. I would love to sketch you. Would you let me?"

"No, I don't think so."

"That is a shame. He said you would refuse. My master… he is rather taken with you; of course you were the only one who ever lived after he decided to kill you."

Neji's heart gave a painful throb. "Itachi..."

"Yes. Would you like to hear his message now?"

"I am guessing you are going to fight me unless I stay for this message?"

"Yes. Now come out from behind that plant."

The lights in the den came up, and Neji squinted, trying to adjust to the illumination.

He raised his gun and stepped out from behind the plant, trying to gauge the situation. The extra-large television across the room flickered on and showed Itachi sitting in a chair wearing an all-black suit with a red tie. Neji hated to admit it, but Itachi was even more handsome than he remembered. Neji heard the window open, and felt a breeze across his skin.

Sai had escaped.

"Hello Neji. I can see everything you are doing, so it would be best if you didn't try to leave."

Neji glanced around and saw four cameras covering the living room, and Neji guessed that they went all the way through the place. "I haven't seen you since I was seventeen, what could you possibly want from me now?"

"Come now, you aren't still mad about that are you? That was eight years ago after all."

"What is this all about, why did you bring me here?"

"I have been watching you all these years. I never thought it was possible but you are even more beautiful now than you were back then."

Neji closed his eyes against the pain that statement produced. "What do you want with me Itachi?"

Itachi continued as if Neji hadn't spoken. "I never thought that you of all people would turn against the Hyuuga and start working for the CIA."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh Neji, I told you that I had been watching you. But why would you risk it? You aren't the type to do something like that."

"A lot has changed since I was seventeen. You don't know me anymore."

Itachi chuckled and leaned forward. "Neji, I know you better than you know yourself."

Neji rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Really? Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Well for one thing, I know you want to fuck your handler. I can't blame you; he is delicious. Lucky for him he hasn't made a move on you. It would be a shame if I had to kill him."

"And why would you do something like that?"

"You belong to me, and I will have you back one way or another. I don't take kindly to those who touch what is mine."

Suddenly the TV went blank and before Neji could even move there was a knife pressed against his throat by someone at his back.

He felt lips against his jaw and heard Itachi's voice rumble out, "My beautiful Neji... it feels so good to hold you again."

The hand that wasn't holding the knife wrest Neji's gun from his hand and tossed it before roaming down to Neji's hip and slipping beneath his shirt. Neji hated to admit it, since he despised Itachi with every ounce of fire he could muster, but his body still remembered that touch. And damn him if his body wasn't betraying him by responding to it.

Neji felt his breath quicken and his heart begin to race. Itachi was either underestimating Neji's fighting abilities, or overestimating his attraction. Either way, as soon as he felt the grip on the knife loosen he grabbed it, yanked it out of the Uchiha's hand and spun from his grasp.

Itachi sighed and gave him a patronizing look. "Give it up Neji. You have never won in a sparring match against me, and you aren't going to win this time."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not seventeen anymore? You have no idea what I am capable of."

Itachi produced another knife from somewhere in his suit, and squared off against Neji. He lunged forward and stabbed the knife toward Neji's left shoulder; Neji easily dodged and countered with a similar move which Itachi dodged as effortlessly. When Itachi came for him again, the two men were nothing but a blur of punches and kicks. They both managed to land a few good blows. It seemed that Itachi was as skilled as ever, but so was Neji. Finally Itachi managed to grab Neji and slam his back into a wall, forcing his knife to Neji's throat again, and ripping the blade from Neji's hand. Itachi had blood running down his face from a cut on his forehead, and Neji had a steady stream of bloody saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth.

Itachi frowned and pressed his lips to Neji's. "Why do you have to be this way? We could be together again, like when we were young", Itachi said angrily.

Neji gathered the blood and saliva in his mouth and spit it in Itachi's face. "Fuck you", Neji forced out. "You tried to kill me, you betrayed my trust and love for you and I will die before I ever forgive you!"

Itachi snarled and pressed his knife harder, drawing blood. Neji managed to get his hands between them and shoved Itachi away. He caught the Uchiha with a roundhouse kick, knocking him back into the couch. He grabbed his knife and straddled the stunned Itachi, pushing the blade against his carotid artery.

He pressed his lips against Itachi's ear and whispered, "I fucking hate you. From the bottom of my heart and back again and I hope you burn in hell."

As he drew his blade back he felt a searing pain in his shoulder and everything started to spin. Someone had shot him, and he was losing blood fast. As Neji's consciousness faded he was vaguely aware of voices, they sort of tuned in and out, but he thought he heard Shikamaru.

"...not to..."

"...traitor..."

"...work for us..."

"...trust him..."

"...help us..."

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Neji woke to a splitting headache and a horrible taste in his dry mouth. He opened his eyes and realized he was in a hospital. He groaned as the lights made his head pound.

Suddenly there was a shadow over his face and he cracked his lids to see Shikamaru's face looming over him. Saying that the agent looked pissed was an understatement.

"Where is Lee?!" Neji rasped through his parched throat.

"The black-haired guy?"

"Yes, is he okay?"

"He is in the next room over; he is going to be fine. But if he is who I think he is, he will be going to jail for a long time."

"Did he wake up yet?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"Then he is gone."

"No he isn't, there are agents swarming this hospital. There is no way he escaped."

"Why don't you check?"

Shikamaru stood up, walked to the door and poked his head out. Neji heard him talking. After a minute Shikamaru turned back to Neji and sighed.

"He _is_ gone."

"Told you."

"Alright Neji, out with it. What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"You have been under surveillance for some time. Even before you started working with us. So we knew that you left with that man who I assume is Rock Lee."

"If you knew that then why didn't you come after me?"

"I thought there was more to gain by just observing. Then we realized it was a trap, and went in to help you. One of my guys got a little trigger-happy and shot you."

"What about Itachi?"

"He was being transported by an ambulance, but it was ambushed and he was taken."

"Damn it. The Akatsuki rescued him."

"Now why don't you tell me what the fuck is going on? What happened between you two?"

Neji didn't want to go into it, but he knew that Shikamaru wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I was seventeen the first time I met Itachi, and he was like a breath of fresh air. The Hyuuga way of life was all I knew, but Itachi was wild and reckless. He was of the Uchiha Clan, which I am sure you know was once a large and powerful gang. But he was resistant to their strict traditionalism. As lame as it sounds I fell for him.

I probably should have sensed his madness, but I was young and naïve, in love for the first time. One night I remember the alarms started going off and everyone was panicking and running around, yelling about how the entire Uchiha Clan had been slaughtered. The Hyuuga Elders knew that I was close with Itachi, but they didn't know the true nature of our relationship or they would have forbidden it. They called me to them and told me that Itachi was to blame for the destruction of the Uchiha, and that if I saw him the order was to kill him.

You can imagine my distress upon hearing this; I couldn't believe that my Itachi would do something like that. He came to me that night in my room. He told me that he killed his clan so he could be free, and that he would kill mine as well so that we could run away together. I was afraid and I told him no. He got so angry… he tried to convince me to come with him. But I was adamant and I refused.

Then he pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. I was only beginning my training at that point and knew I couldn't take him on my own. I didn't think he would actually shoot me, but after I told him again that I wouldn't go, he put his gun to my chest and pulled the trigger. Thankfully the Hyuuga have their own surgical staff at the compound and were able to save me. The bullet only nicked my heart, but I was clinically dead for two minutes. After that I never heard from him again until tonight."

Neji took a deep breath; all that talking had worn him out. Whatever painkiller they had given him was sapping away his strength. "So are you going to arrest me?"

"For what?" Shikamaru responded. "You assaulted Itachi Uchiha, but somehow I don't think he is going to file charges." Shikamaru's demeanor suddenly changed and became more serious. "But you had better listen up: no more freelancing. If you get a job you call me. This was unacceptable. There was no reason that anyone had to get hurt. You are my partner now, and that means that I will lay my life on the line for you. But I need to know that you are committed to this. If you want to take down the Hyuuga I can help you, but we are going to have to trust each other, because now we have more than just the Hyuuga to deal with. Uchiha escaped, and I suspect we haven't seen the last of him. Are you with me?"

Neji tried not to show how deeply Shikamaru's words were affecting him. "Yeah, I'm with you."

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Please review! I love to read your feedback! 


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone! Thank you all for reading! This is a special Christmas chapter and it is kinda fluffy. I am sorry if you hate fluff, but there will be plenty of action in the next chapter! I am also pleading for reviews! Please let me know what you think! I love to hear from you! Once again, sorry for any mistakes.

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Neji's doctor told him that he was forbidden from working for three long weeks. Usually Neji would just ignore it and work through the pain, but Shikamaru had been there and the Nara had every intention of making Neji follow the doctor's orders. Neji's shoulder wasn't 100 percent yet, but he was more than ready to get back to taking down the Hyuuga. Said Elders had gotten a revised version of the story that ended with Itachi shooting him, and didn't include any of the details about their previous relationship. They had been angry when Neji had told them that he was out of commission for three weeks, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

Shikamaru had remained by Neji's side since he was admitted to the hospital and refused to leave even after they were transported back to D.C., and Neji insisted that he didn't have to stay. He had been in the hospital for two days and he was bored out of his mind. Thankfully Shikamaru had found a chess set somewhere. It was missing a few pieces, so a cap from Shikamaru's soda bottle became one of Neji's pawns, while an origami crane that Neji had folded out of a napkin became Shikamaru's queen.

Neji knew that he was a good strategist, and he hadn't lost a game of chess in years; but after Shikamaru beat him three times in a row he was ready to admit defeat. If Neji were perfectly honest, he would have to admit that he found Shikamaru's intelligence to be a huge turn-on. He didn't know if it was the painkillers or just Shikamaru, but he found himself getting turned on by the most inconsequential things. Like the way Shikamaru chewed on his thumbnail when he was contemplating a move on the chessboard, or the way his body bowed out, making his shirt ride up when he stretched.

"You know, you should be thankful that you are out of work for the next three weeks", Shikamaru remarked, out of the blue.

"Why is that?"

"You are going to be off for Christmas, and you can spend time with your cousin."

"I had forgotten that the holidays were coming up. I haven't even bought anything for Hinata."

"About Hinata... how is she doing?"

Neji sighed. "I have taken her to over a dozen doctors, and they all say that there is nothing to be done. I am afraid that her sight might be gone forever. I don't want to give up hope; I know that it hurts her every time another one tells her that the damage is permanent."

"Yeah, but you can't stop trying. She is important to you."

"She is my most precious person."

Just then, Neji's doctor came in.

"Hello gentlemen, I have good news. Your wound is healing well, Mr. Hyuuga, and you will be able to go home later today."

Neji was relieved to hear that, but just a little sad as well. He had enjoyed getting to know Shikamaru better over the last few days; and though he hated to admit it, he was more attracted to the special agent than ever.

"That's good news." Shikamaru smiled.

"Yes, quite", Neji agreed. "I will have to call Sakura for a ride home later."

The doctor excused himself to finish his rounds.

"Don't be ridiculous. I can take you back to your apartment."

"I suppose that's fine, but you really don't have to."

"How many times are we going to go over this? I am here because I want to be, I am giving you a ride because I want to."

"Alright, alright. You can take me home."

"Deal."

Suddenly Shikamaru's phone rang. "Just a second", he said before turning away and answering.

"Hello? Oh, you're here?...Yeah, room 124... See you in a minute."

Shikamaru turned back to Neji to explain. "That was a friend of mine; she is bringing me some clothes and things so I can shower. I have been wearing this stuff for two days, and I am starting to smell."

"I didn't want to say anything..." Neji teased with a smirk.

"I wouldn't have troubled her if I had known that you were going home today."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a blonde head poked in.

"Hey Shika. I got the stuff you asked for from your place." The words were spoken with a heavy southern accent.

"Hey Ino, come in."

The woman stepped into the room, revealing a slim physique and pretty face, with teal eyes and long blond hair. Shikamaru pointed toward each of them and introduced them.

"Ino this is Neji, Neji meet Ino."

Ino handed Shikamaru a small duffel bag, and stretched her hand out to shake Neji's.

Neji took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. "Had I known that a lady was coming to visit, I would have ventured to be more properly dressed." Neji had always been taught good manners, especially in the presence of females.

Ino swooned. "Oh Shika, I like this one! Such good manners, and handsome to boot! Just take a gander at those eyes, and look at all that hair! You are the first man I have ever met with hair prettier than mine. But it looks like it could use a good washin'. I could wash it for ya, if ya like!"

Neji got the impression that over-talking was something that Ino did often. He didn't really know her, but Shikamaru seemed to trust her enough to go into his apartment and bring him clothes. The nurses washed Neji down with a towel, but hadn't done anything to his hair, and the prospect of having it clean again was undeniably appealing.

"If you truly don't mind, that would be wonderful", he replied with his most charming smile.

Ino squealed and clapped her hands like a child on Christmas. "You just sit right there sugar, I am gonna go get my bag!" She skipped out of the room before Neji could ask what she meant.

"Uh-oh, Neji you really shouldn't have done that."

"Why? And where did she go?"

"Ino is a beautician; she probably went to her car to get her supplies. She likes you, so you are going to get the full VIP treatment."

"What does that mean?"

"She is going to wash, condition, cut, dry and style your hair for you. You will be lucky if you get out of getting a manicure and pedicure before she leaves. Believe me, I know from experience."

"You let her give you manicures?"

"Ino may seem nice with all her southern hospitality, but she can be scary."

"The two of you seem close; is she your girlfriend?" Neji tried to ignore a stab of jealousy.

Suddenly Ino's voice chimed in before Shikamaru could answer. "Heck no! We tried that once, but it was like kissin' my own brother."

Neji saw both of them grimace at the memory.

"Now don't you get me wrong; I love Shika to death and back again! We've known each other since we were 13 years old, but we just ain't meant to be romantic with each other."

Neji couldn't help but laugh at her boisterous over-explanation.

Suddenly his focus was drawn to the bag she was carrying, which was enormous. Neji was starting to feel like Shikamaru may have been right.

"I am gonna head over and take a shower in the family washrooms", Shikamaru announced before heading out and leaving Neji and Ino alone.

"I am gonna go set up all my things; I will come and get you when I am ready."

Ino pulled off her coat and disappeared into his bathroom. Neji heard a lot of rummaging before she re-emerged and dragged the chair Shikamaru had been sitting on into the restroom. She returned and helped Neji out of bed. He noted that she was shorter than she seemed when he was lying down; the top of her head barely came to the middle of his chest. He couldn't believe Shikamaru could describe this woman as scary.

When he walked into the restroom, he noticed that Ino had positioned the chair so he could sit and lean his head back into the sink. He took his place. Ino turned on the water and started washing his hair. The feeling of her fingers massaging his scalp was heavenly.

"So, you work with Shika?"

"Yeah, honestly we haven't known each other that long. I am surprised that he has stayed here all this time."

"Well you know Shika and me ain't got any close family. He don't talk to his parents anymore on account of them bein' criminals and all. He probably just doesn't wanna leave ya all alone."

"What do you mean Shikamaru's parents are criminals?"

"Oh, I guess he ain't told ya yet. I don't wanna go gossiping behind his back, so you're going to have to ask him that one yourself."

Neji just nodded in response.

"He likes ya, ya know. I can tell by the way he looks at ya. You like him too don't you?"

Neji's heart started pounding. Playing dumb seemed like the best defense. "Yeah, he's a cool guy. I am glad that we got partnered up."

Ino gave him an I-can-see-right-through-you look. "Play dumb if you want to, but you ain't foolin' me." Neji blushed and looked away; Ino took pity on him and changed the subject. "You got any plans for Christmas?"

Neji latched onto the subject change. "Not as of yet, I will probably spend it with my cousin Hinata. She and I have always spent Christmas together since we were kids." Neji didn't include the fact that they spent it hiding from the Elders, who would get drunk on eggnog and senselessly hand out punishments the lower-ranking members of the family.

"What about you, do you have any plans for the holidays?"

"Me and Shika always spend Christmas together, since we are the only family that the other has."

Neji frowned, and the expression was not lost on Ino. "But don't you go feelin' sorry for us now; we always have a grand ol' time together. Plus we got a lot more than most do."

Neji could see why the Nara liked this woman; she was something special.

"Up you get", instructed Ino, wrapping a towel around his head and massaging the water from his soaked locks.

The two of them made polite conversation as Ino trimmed and blow-dried his hair. Shikamaru returned to the room while Ino was rubbing something in Neji's hair that she said would make it shiny. Neji had tried to fight her on it, but he caught a glimpse of her scary side when she just told him to zip it and sit still.

Shikamaru looked good enough to eat in a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark green t-shirt, but what really took Neji's breath away was the fact that his hair was out of its tie and hanging down to his jaw. Neji noted that it was still damp from the shower, and there were a few dark spots on his shirt where it had been dripping.

"Hey Ino, my hair tie broke. Do you have an extra?"

She did, but she wasn't about to give it to him, considering the look Neji was giving her friend.

"Sorry sugar, all I have are these clips." She looked to Neji. "Alrighty then, you're done." She reached to help him to bed, but Shikamaru beat her to the punch. He helped Neji up and into bed, mindful of his injured shoulder. Ino smirked knowingly and began gathering her things.

After she was ready, she bade farewell to Neji and asked Shikamaru if he could help her with her bag. He grabbed the heavy case and followed her out. Once the two of them were outside and her case was loaded into the trunk she turned to Shikamaru and gave him a knowing smile.

"You like him", she announced.

"How did I know this was coming?"

"Because I know you too well. Maybe he ain't recognized it yet, but you can't pull the wool over my eyes Shika."

"He is just a friend. We work together, that's it."

"Bullshit. You want to sleep with him, I can tell."

"Look, I'll admit he's an attractive guy-" Shikamaru started, but Ino cut him off.

"Attractive my ass! That man is easily the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in the flesh, and he wants you."

"No he does not."

"You are so blind, didn't ya see the way he was lookin' at you. The man is yours for the taking; all you have to do is reach out and grab him."

Ino waved her hands around dismissively. "You know what, you can deny it all you want, but it's the truth. I gotta go, but I'll see you on Christmas."

Ino got in her car and drove away, leaving a very confused Shikamaru in her wake.

The Nara headed back to Neji's room and found the man studying his reflection and fingering his long curtain of hair.

"I guess whatever she put in my hair does work. It's really shiny, plus it smells amazing."

Shikamaru laughed at Neji's commentary.

The Hyuuga walked over to him. "Seriously, smell my hair."

Shikamaru chuckled at the odd statement, but stepped forward until their chests were almost touching. Close proximity turned out to be a bad idea; the moment was suddenly rife with sexual tension. Shikamaru's heart was pounding, and Neji was having a hard time getting a full breath of air in his lungs.

Shikamaru leaned his head and buried his face in the dark fall of the Hyuuga's hair. He inhaled Neji's scent, and whispered, "It smells wonderful."

Before pulling back, their noses were only a few centimeters from each other. They were close enough to share breaths, and when Neji looked down at Shikamaru's lips his control wavered. They both leaned in slowly, their noses grazing.

The moment their lips were about to touch, the door opened and a nurse came in. The two of them sprang apart like they were burned and tried not to look guilty. The nurse looked like she was going to laugh, but managed to hold it in.

"Mr. Hyuuga, I have your release papers. I need you to sign them, and then you are free to go."

Neji cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Of course, thank you ma'am." Neji signed and dated the papers before handing them back to the nurse, who looked at them with a serious expression.

"Also, I would like to remind you that although you are being released you still have to take it easy. No ahem... strenuous activities." Both her tone and the look she gave them made it clear she was talking about sex. Both of them blushed as they remembered what they had just been caught doing.

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Neji was very grateful to be back at his apartment. He had never been comfortable in hospitals. It was only now after Shikamaru dropped him off and he was lying in his own bed that he realized how much of a comfort Shikamaru's presence had been. The Nara made him laugh and kept his mind active, preventing his thoughts from straying to Itachi. The visit from Ino was the icing on the cake. The woman was like a ray of sunshine; she lit up a room and made you feel a little warmer in her presence.

Now that the Nara was gone, however, his thoughts and insecurities surged unhindered. When he thought of Itachi, it felt like someone put a weight on his chest. He couldn't believe the man had come back for him after so much time. Right when Neji's mood was about to spiral downward, there was a soft knock on his door, and he heard Hinata's meek voice call him.

"Neji, could I come and visit you awhile?"

"Of course Hinata, come in."

Neji watched as the door was slowly opened, and Hinata made her way into his bedroom feeling the air in front of her with her hands. "Come sit on the bed with me little cousin", he entreated.

Hinata felt her way over to the bed, and climbed up. Neji reached out his hand and she took it in her own, holding it like it was something precious.

"Oh Neji," Hinata whimpered as tears filled her sightless eyes. "I was so worried when I heard that you were in the hospital. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Her lip was quivering and Neji could tell that she was trying to hold in her sobs. Neji disengaged his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into the best embrace that he could manage with one arm still in a sling.

"Hey there, there's no reason to get upset. I am still here, and I will make sure that nothing happens to you. You know that I will protect you don't you?"

"I know, you promised me. You always keep your promises."

"That's right." Neji gave her a gentle squeeze. "Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"How would you feel about going to buy a Christmas tree?"

"That would be wonderful! We haven't had a tree since we were children. Too bad I won't be able to be much help picking one out", she mused with a small frown.

"What are you talking about? Don't you know that the loss of sight sharpens all your other senses? You are going to help me find the freshest, best smelling tree in the place. Isn't that one of the best reasons to buy a real tree? It makes your house smell like Christmas."

Hinata beamed. "Okay, do you think we could go tomorrow?"

"Of course. I would love to get out of the house for a bit. Although... I think we may need to enlist a bit of extra help. I'll call Shikamaru; after all it was his fault I was shot."

Neji still didn't have enough strength to carry a tree.

Hinata snickered, and then rested her head on his shoulder. The two simply lay that way for a while, content in the presence of someone who loved them.

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Since his doctor hadn't cleared him to drive, the next day Sakura drove Hinata, Neji and Shikamaru out to a nursery where Christmas trees were being sold. After browsing for a while, Hinata finally stopped in front of a large tree. She leaned forward and smelled it, then used her hands to get a good idea of the size and shape. After her inspection, she announced to Neji, "This is the one! It's perfect."

It was a truly perfect tree, full and fragrant. Neji paid the man in charge, and the two enlisted helpers loaded it into the back of Sakura's truck. When they returned to the apartment Neji was glad to find two large boxes on his doorstep. He had called all over town to find what was inside them.

After the tree was set up, Neji thanked Sakura and Shikamaru. They both offered to help him decorate it, but he told them to relax after all their hard work. Then he opened the boxes to reveal a bunch of what appeared to be plain white ornaments. Neji carefully placed them on the tree until it was covered from top to bottom in the simple white balls. Finally, he pulled out a small box with an on/off switch and flipped it on.

"They're all white. It's kind of plain don't you think?" asked Shikamaru, and Sakura nodded in agreement.

Neji just smirked at them.

"I wish I could see it", Hinata said, her nose scrunched in frustration.

Neji went over to her and pulled her to her feet. He led her to the Christmas tree where he then told her, "Touch the ornaments."

Hinata made a puzzled face, but reached out her hand until her fingers came in contact with one of the balls. The sound of a bell ringing came from the ornament. Hinata gasped, her face breaking into a huge smile as she reached out her other hand and touched more of the ornaments. Each one had its own sound, and responded to touch.

"Thank you Neji, it's so wonderful!" Hinata exclaimed before she turned around and embraced him. She turned back to the tree and started studying the ornaments with her hands.

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A few hours later Shikamaru had to leave. Neji walked him downstairs.

"Thank you so much for helping with the tree. My shoulder still isn't completely healed."

"Don't mention it, I was glad to help. That was a really nice thing you did for Hinata."

"Like I said, she is my most precious person. I just wanted her to smile again."

When they reached Shikamaru's car, they paused.

"Thank you again, I can't tell you-"

Neji stopped talking when he realized that Shikamaru wasn't listening; his attention seemed to be focused on something above Neji's head. Neji followed Shikamaru's gaze and realized that someone had hung mistletoe from all the lights in the parking lot, and that they were standing beneath one of the little bundles.

Shikamaru smirked and stepped forward slowly, closing the distance between them until they were as close as they had been in the hospital. Sparks of raw sensuality charged the air around them. This time when they leaned in, there was no interruption. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Neji let out a small moan, and Shikamaru teased his tongue across the seam of the Hyuuga's full lips. Neji opened for him, drawing the Nara's slick muscle into his mouth with his own. Shikamaru tasted like pure fire on Neji's tongue, and he couldn't get enough. He reached up and cupped the agent's face between his palms, trying to pull him closer. Shikamaru put his arms around Neji and pulled him flush with his body.

They were both so into their passionate kiss that they didn't notice the black-eyed man taking pictures from the sedan across the way.

"Shikamaru Nara... you are so fucking dead."

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PLEASE REVIEW! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!


	5. Chapter 5

I just want to thank you all for sticking with me. This chapter is a bit late, but thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!

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Neji's three long weeks of recovery were moving slowly, he still had a week left before he was cleared to return to work. As much of a relief it was, there was also a sense of foreboding hanging around his recovery. Because if Neji was healed, then so was Itachi. The Hyuuga couldn't help but get the feeling that Itachi was out there planning his next move, even as Neji puttered around his kitchen making coffee.

It was Christmas day, and Neji couldn't help but think, "I am glad that Hinata and I will finally be able to have a relaxing and happy Christmas." He didn't know how wrong he was.

Neji and Shikamaru had talked on the phone, but hadn't seen each other in person since what Neji had secretly dubbed, 'The Mistletoe Incident.' Neither of them had brought up the kiss, but their conversations weren't stunted or awkward. Neji hadn't been able to get Shikamaru on the phone since the day before yesterday, and he wondered why the agent didn't pick up his calls.

Right when Neji sat down on his couch to drink his coffee, the doorbell rang. Neji sighed, but he dragged himself up and over to the door. He opened his door to reveal what could only be described as an Adonis. The man was a few inches taller than Neji, he had a mess of blond hair and the clearest blue eyes Neji had ever seen. For a moment he wondered if someone had sent him a Christmas stripper-gram.

"Neji Hyuuga?" The man asked in a deep voice that made Neji shiver from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Even though the stranger was ridiculously attractive, Neji didn't trust him.

"Yes, and who are you?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I work with Agent Nara." He pulled out his badge and flashed it to Neji. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Do I need to call a lawyer?"

"They aren't those kind of questions."

"I suppose so..." Neji said uncertainly. He was wary of inviting this man into his home since Hinata and Sakura were still there. But he led the man in and offered him a seat and a cup of coffee. "What can I do for you Agent Uzumaki?"

"There are alot of rumors going around concerning you and Itachi Uchiha." Naruto at least had the grace to look embarrassed.

Neji frowned, "I don't see how my previous... dealings with Itachi are of any concern to you."

"I don't care about any of that, I wanted to ask you about someone else."

"Who? What does this have to do with Itachi."

"What do you know about Sasuke Uchiha?"

"To be perfectly honest, not very much. I know he is Itachi's younger brother, but we were never particularly close. I also know that he was the only person from the Uchiha family that Itachi didn't kill. There were some rumors going around for a while saying he had become a cop; nobody really believed them though. Last I heard, he is still trying to get even with his brother."

"That's what I need to know, the rumors. Tell me what you've heard about Sasuke." Something in his voice made Neji realize that this wasn't an official visit.

"You aren't supposed to be here. You're here against orders." Neji accused.

Naruto scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "Is it that obvious? I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be here. I just need to know."

"Why wouldn't they let you talk to me?"

"Basically everyone has questions for you, but they were afraid that if you were seen with too many new people, or took too many trips to headquarters the Hyuugas might get suspicious."

"Well, I have never been much of one for rules. What do you want to know?"

Naruto smiled, Neji thought that smiling was definitely the best look for Naruto. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

"I don't know his exact location, but last I heard he was working for Orochimaru."

"Do you know what he does for him?"

"My best guess is that he is working as an enforcer."

"Do you know why he would do that?"

"Like I said, I really don't know him that well. Maybe he wants to use Orochimaru's sources to find Itachi." Neji heard Hinata's door open and her light footsteps as she made her way toward the living room. She stepped out around the corner, still in her nightgown.

"Neji, is someone here? I thought I heard voices." Neji got up and went to her, he took her hand and led her over to Naruto.

"Hinata, this is Naruto. He works with Shikamaru, he just needed to ask me some questions." Hinata held her hand out, and Naruto shook it.

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well, I hope my disturbance didn't wake you."

Hinata shook her head. "Not at all."

Just then Sakura appeared. After Neji's latest injury, he had finally broken down and asked her to move in with them. It appeared that having a nurse around would be a good idea.

"Good morning Neji, Hinata. Oh! We have a visitor." The pinkette said with a yawn.

"This is Naruto, he works with Shikamaru. Sakura, would you be so kind as to make Hinata breakfast?"

Sakura saw the dismissal for what is was, and led Hinata to the kitchen. "Can do, Boss."

Neji turned back to the blonde and just as he opened his mouth to continue their conversation, the doorbell rang again. Neji sighed and went to answer the door again. 'Who else would be visiting at this hour?' Neji opened the door to reveal a messenger, holding a large yellow envelope. "I am looking for a Mr. Neji Hyuuga."

"That's me." Neji said, taking the envelope. The man just nodded and left as Neji closed the door.

Neji was curious who would send a message to him with a courier service. He tore open the end, and pulled out the contents. All that was in it was a DVD with the words "Watch Me" written in sharpie on the front. Neji had a sinking feeling in his gut. He walked over to the entertainment system and turned it on. He put the video in and stepped back to watch, completely forgetting that Naruto was still sitting on his couch.

The screen came up and it showed Itachi's face, he was smirking. "Hello beautiful. I have something, or should I say some...one that I think you might like to see. Let's call it my Christmas gift to you." Itachi moved out of the frame to reveal Shikamaru bound to a chair, badly beaten and covered in blood. His right eye was swollen completely shut, his lip was split and blood was dripping from his mouth. His hair had fallen from his tie and there were streaks of gore that suggested head trauma. He appeared to be unconscious, Neji refused to believe he was dead. Neji noted with distaste that Itachi had tied a big red bow around the Nara like he was a present. Neji heard Naruto's sharp intake of breath, followed by a more high-pitched one that had to be Sakura.

Itachi came back, this time he was scowling. "I told you what would happen if he ever laid a hand on you, but you didn't listen." Itachi lifted a paper that was in his hand, and moved it closer until it filled the frame. It was a picture of Neji and Shikamaru's kiss under the mistletoe. "I gave you fair warning, so do mind telling me WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS?" Itachi crumpled the picture in his hand and tossed it at Shikamaru. The ball hit Shikamaru in the forehead and the Nara stirred for a moment, his head lifting and then sort of flopping back as though it were too heavy to support. Neji's heart jumped in his chest, Shikamaru was alive!

Itachi started walking in slow circles around the chair that the agent was tied to. Neji could hear him take a few deep breaths and then calmly state in a matter-of-fact way, "I am however willing to make a trade. I will set him free if you agree to take his place as my prisoner. You have until noon to make it to my old house." Neji checked his watch and discovered that is was already ten o'clock. "I am watching you, so if you bring the cops into this I will kill him. And Neji," Itachi looked directly into the camera. "If this man doesn't get medical attention soon he is going to die." The screen went blank, leaving a stunned silence.

Neji turned around and saw three faces frozen in shock and worry, and he was sure that his face carried the same expression. Hinata may not have been able to see, but the dialogue had painted a pretty clear picture of the situation. They were all stunned into silence until Naruto cleared his throat and asked Neji, "What are we going to do?"

"I should just do what he says. Itachi is my problem, I brought this on everyone."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. It doesn't take a genius to see that the guy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. We should call the CIA."

"No! You heard what he said, if I get the police involved he will kill Shikamaru."

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but I am a CIA agent. The cops are already involved."

"I am not going to risk his life like that, what if Itachi finds-" Neji was cut off as his cell phone rang. "Oh for the love of God! Who could it be now?" Neji ripped his phone open and practically barked, "Neji Hyuuga?"

He heard Ino's southern drawl on the other end. "Neji, darlin' have you heard from Shikamaru? He was supposed to be at my house this mornin' but he is nowhere to be found, and he ain't pickin' up his phone."

"I uh... don't think he's gonna make it."

"What, why? Is he alright?"

"Shikamaru has been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped? What do we do? Is there a ransom, cause I got some money saved up if that's what they're after."

"No, it seems to be a bit more complicated than that. He wants me in exchange for Shikamaru."

"He? Oh no, it's not that Itachi weasel who roughed you up so bad is it? Are you gonna call the police?"

"I can't Itachi said that he is watching me, and if I call the cops he will kill Shikamaru." Neji was panicked, but trying to keep a cool head. Emotions were always what screwed up situations like this.

"Tell me everything you know, I think I know someone who can help."

"It's not another CIA agent is it?"

"No, but you need to tell me everything. I need to do something to help."

Neji told her everything that they knew, she hurriedly said her goodbyes and hung up. Maybe Ino's friend really could help, but he couldn't rely on it. Neji knew that there was no other option, he was going to have to give himself up in exchange for the Nara. "I am just going to have to do what Itachi says, it's really the only option."

"No it's not! The CIA has protocols for this type of situation!"

Neji glared at Naruto. "No, they don't. They have protocols for children who are kidnapped for ransom, and agents who are taken out of desperation. There is no protocol for dealing with a crazy fuck who is basically the Einstein of ALL crazy fucks. Whether or not you want to admit it, Itachi is smarter than all of us. He means what he says, if I get the cops involved, he will have no qualms about killing Shikamaru."

"Why don't I go to the CIA? Technically all he said was that you couldn't go, if I go we aren't breaking the rules, right?"

"I don't think Itachi really sees the shades of gray here. I am going to do what I have to in order to save him. Please don't interfere." There was a tone of finality in his voice, he turned to Sakura. "After I leave I want you to set the alarm, and don't let anyone in. Keep the phone by you and if any suspicious people come around, call the cops."

"I am gonna go to the CIA, if anyone tries to follow me I will shake them before going in."

Neji grabbed his last threads of hope. "If you stay out of this, then I will find out where Sasuke is. If you stay here and protect Hinata and Sakura I will use my sources to find him for you."

Naruto looked pained. "You are asking me to walk a fine line here Hyuuga. I don't want to have to choose between them."

"Whether or not you want to is irrelevant. It is apparent that you think Sasuke is yours to save, it is the same with me and Shikamaru. I need to get there, and time is running short. Do we have a deal?"

Naruto sighed and messed his hair. "I have no other choice. You are my only hope of finding him. Don't let Shikamaru die."

After assuring Naruto again, Neji dressed and grabbed the handgun he kept in his closet before heading out. He had to race to get to the old Uchiha residence before time was up. He realized that Itachi had left him so little time on purpose. Even if Neji had warned them, there was no way the police could have mobilized in such a short amount of time.

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The Hyuuga did a quick sweep of the area and found that all the doors and windows were boarded except the front entrance. Neji took out his gun and headed toward the house. The front door was unlocked, and Neji made his way past the foyer and into the living room. All the furniture was covering in white sheets and a thick film of dust, giving the empty house a haunted air.

Neji creeped through the house like the professional that he was, not making a sound. He didn't know where Shikamaru was being held, so he stealthily checked the house room by room. The downstairs was clear, so he headed up the grand staircase. Neji headed down the hall, where Itachi's old room was. When Neji peeked through the crack of the door, he saw Shikamaru still tied to the chair and not moving.

Neji didn't hear Itachi inside so he slowly pushed the door open and padded inside. The room was clear, so he headed over to the Nara. "Shikamaru? Shikamaru, wake up." Neji whispered, pushing his bloody strands of hair away from his face. The Nara stirred with a moan, his lids cracked open to reveal his dark gaze. Neji's heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest. "Thank God, I thought you were dead." Neji wanted to embrace the agent, but knew that he would only hurt him more.

"Neji... get out..." Shikamaru forced out in a shaky rattle that suggested lung damage. "Leave me... he's waiting... run..."

"I won't leave you here. I am going to save you, I promise." Neji placed a soft kiss on Shika's bloodied forehead.

"Well, isnt this sweet?" Neji heard from behind him. He whirled around and pointed the business end of his .9 right at Itachi's head. Itachi just smirked and lifted something in his hand, it was a small device that wasn't unlike a garage door opener.

"Before you get trigger happy, you should know that there is enough C4 under his chair to level this house. Do you think you could shoot me before I push this button?"

Neji hesitated, killing Itachi wasn't worth both their lives. He knew that Itachi was just crazy enough to actually blow them all up. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha stayed in a standstill for about a minute before Itachi spoke. "What's it going to be beautiful? You promised to save him, come with me and he will be fine. So what's it gonna be?"

Neji knew that there wasn't anything he could do, so he put his gun his gun on the floor and slid it away. Itachi grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away from Shikamaru. He positioned himself behind Neji and secured his hands with a zip-tie. Once he was secured, Itachi started placing open mouthed kisses on Neji's neck. Neji turned his head away, unable to look Shikamaru in the eye.

"Oh, Neji." Moaned Itachi, breathing Neji's scent. Neji felt him set his chin on his shoulder, and say to Shikamaru, "You see this?" Itachi ripped Neji's shirt open, exposing his pale torso that was still marred with dark bruises. "This is mine. It has always been mine, and you are never taking it from me."Neji could feel Itachi's warm, callused hands roaming his exposed flesh. Itachi was still molesting his neck, and Neji pulled away.

"Stop, that's enough."

"No it isn't." Itachi slammed Neji back against the wall and attacked his mouth. Neji tried to struggle out of his grip, but his attempts to escape only managed to grind their hips together. Itachi moaned into Neji's neck and whispered only so Neji could hear. "I should take you in front of him, you are mine. He needs to know it."

Neji felt his stomach drop. "No Itachi."

"Fine, let's go. I am sure that someone will be along to pick him up before too long." Itachi started to pull Neji toward the door when Neji heard Shikamaru's reed-thin voice.

"If he was...yours, you wouldn't have to kidnap him."

Itachi exploded, marching over to Shikamaru and backhanding him hard enough to snap his head to one side. "You don't know anything! You think you deserve him after knowing him for all of six weeks? What makes you think you're better than me?"

Shikamaru spit out blood and turned his face back toward Itachi with a bored look. "I didn't have to tie him up to get him to kiss me." He said smugly.

Itachi's face contorted into a mask of evil rage as he pulled his hand back a second time. This time when he let his hand fly, it didn't make contact. Itachi's wrist was caught in a wide, tanned palm that belonged to a tall man that looked like an older version of Shikamaru. Itachi ripped his hand away and took a step back, looking insulted. The man reached his hand out and grabbed Itachi by the throat, pinning him to the wall. "Well, well. Itachi Uchiha, what's going on here?"

Itachi knocked his arm away and stepped back from his attacker. "I don't think that's any of your business Shikaku."

"Well, normally I wouldn't care what the hell you do, but when you hurt my son it becomes my business."

"Your son..." Itachi said, recognition dawning on his features. "I'm sorry okay? I didn't know that he was your son. You can take him, I will just leave with Neji. We can pretend this never happened, okay?"

"Dad, no!" Shikamaru shouted.

"Look son, you need to get to a hospital. Neji Hyuuga is not my responsibility, you are." Shikaku nodded to Itachi and indicated for him to leave.

During this exchange Neji tried to free himself from the binding on his hands without success. Itachi picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. He tried to fight, but Itachi had the advantage. Neji saw Shikamaru go wild and start to fight his restraints in earnest, pulling hard enough to make the chair groan.

"NEJI! NEJI! NO, NEJIIIIIIIII!" He could hear Shikamaru screaming his name all the way out of the house.

Itachi took him over to his Escalade and threw him in the back seat. "Sorry about this." He heard the Uchiha say before he felt a needle pierce his neck, and he lost consciousness.

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When Neji came to he was tied down by his arms, he opened his eyes to see that he was tied to a large canopy bed furnished in dark red silk. He also came to the realization that he was in nothing but his boxer-briefs. He lifted his head to see Itachi standing at the foot of the bed, hair unbound and in nothing but his slacks. In another context this scene could have been sexy, but Neji's heart was racing not from arousal, but from pure animal instinct that told him to escape.

"Glad to see you are awake, beautiful." Itachi said with a smile.

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Thank you for reading! Please REVIEW! It inspires me to update!


	6. Chapter 6

So sorry for the ridiculous delay in updates, but sadly real life has the tendency to interfere with my internet one. Hope you like it! Sorry for any mistakes! And if anyone is interested in being my beta let me know.

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"Sir, you are not well enough to leave! Get back in bed, please!" A nurse was yelling at Shikamaru, who was methodically removing all the tubes and wires that the doctors had attached to him.

"Are you done?" He asked in an exasperated way when the nurse stopped yelling.

"I'm calling the doctor!"

"Well, good for you, but it's not going to change my mind. Now where are my things?"

"Sir, until fifteen minutes ago you were unresponsive." He had only been unresponsive because his father had, had to knock him out to calm him down.

"Clothes. That's really all I'm interested in. If you want to be useful, tell me where they are. I am leaving, there is nothing you can do about it." The nurse pointed to a small plastic dresser. Shikamaru untied his hospital johnny and looked to the nurse. "Leave now or prepare to get weird."

The nurse stared at him with a kind of hatred, like she was so done with patients giving her lip. "Whatever, if you want to leave and drop dead of internal bleeding it's your choice." She said as she stormed out.

As the nurse left, Ino came in the door. When she saw him out of bed, standing next to a battery of blaring medical equipment, her eyes narrowed. "Why are you outta bed?"

"I am leaving."

"Did the doctors release you?"

As if answering her question, the nurse came back in. "You are going to have to sign this form. It states that you are leaving AMA, against medical advice."

Ino turned to Shikamaru with a death glare. "Oh no you don't! Get your ass back in that bed right NOW! Until the doctor tells you that you're free to leave I don't want to see you move a muscle, understood?" There was a short battle of glares, but Ino's won out.

"Fine," Shikamaru relented as he climbed back in bed. "Get me my cell phone."

The nurse smiled triumphantly and gave Shikamaru a look that said she hoped to be the one who put his catheter back in.

An hour later, Naruto was standing in front of him wringing his hands and looking every bit the kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Shikamaru had been pissed when he found out that Naruto had been with Neji, and had let him leave without backup. "What were you doing at Neji's house?"

"I just wanted to ask him about Sasuke. He said he would help me find him if I stayed and protected his cousin. I didn't know that he was going to get taken."

Shikamaru took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his temper in check. "Normally I would shoot you right now, but you may be useful to me. Did he tell you where Sasuke Uchiha is?"

"He said that the rumor was that he is working for Orochimaru. How is that helpful?"

"We are going to find Sasuke, and he is going to lead us to Itachi." Shikamaru said as if speaking to a child.

"Even if Sasuke knows where he is, what makes you think he will show us?"

"That's where you come in."

Naruto backpedaled, "I really don't think that's a good idea. What could I do?"

"He cares about you, even if he acts like a total knob rocket. You are the only person who can convince him."

Shikamaru could see the old lines of pain etch into Naruto's features. He didn't want to put the blond through this, but he had to save Neji, and Sasuke was his ticket. Sasuke had once been a CIA agent, and Naruto had been his partner. Eventually, their partnership evolved into something deeper. Then, about a year ago, out of the blue Sasuke quit his job and left Naruto behind without so much as an explanation. Naruto had been searching for him ever since. "I think you underestimate our 'bond' Shikamaru."

"Look, you can convince him, or I will beat it out of him. Either way, he is going to be helpful. So, go and gather as much information as you can on Orochimaru. I am going to work on getting out of here."

Naruto left, and Ino came back in. She had been mad at him for trying to leave until she found out what happened to Neji. Even though they hadn't known each other long, Shikamaru could tell that she was worried about the Hyuuga. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You have done enough already." Shikamaru huffed. He was still furious with her for calling his father. "Unless you have any more bright ideas that will endanger Neji's life. Maybe you want to call my mother in next to further fuckify an already fucked situation?"

Ino looked away. "I was only trying to help. You told me to call that number in case of an emergency." She croaked, her voice thick with tears.

Shikamaru felt bad for snapping at her. He couldn't stay mad forever, and she had saved his life. If his dad hadn't shown up when he did Shikamaru would have probably been killed. He put his face in his hands and sighed. "I'm sorry Ino, you know I'm not really mad at you. You saved my life, I'm just worried." He held his arm out and scooted over so she could climb on the bed with him.

She climbed up and he held her while she sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm worried about him too. He is such a nice fella, taking care of his cousin and all. What would happen to that poor girl if he doesn't come back?"

Shikamaru gave her a squeeze. "Don't talk like that, I am going to get him back."

And Itachi was gonna pay, bigtime.

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Neji was getting tired of being tied down, he had never liked being restrained and it was starting to make him panic. Itachi hadn't raped him... yet. Neji didn't know what he was waiting for, but was thankful for the delay. After he woke up Itachi had sat on the bed and stroked his hair and just looked at him for a while before his cell phone had gone off and he had left the room.

During his absence Neji had tried to escape his restraints, but had been unsuccessful in his pursuit. He had pulled until his shoulders had creaked with strain and the ropes had scraped his wrists red and raw. With his limited movement, he hadn't been able to get a great look at the room. He had spotted a menacing length of chain that he tried not to divine the purpose of.

When Itachi finally came back into the room he was frowning. "I am sorry my love, I wanted to stay and spend your first day here together; but I have business to attend to. I am sure you understand." Itachi came to the bed and leaned over him. When he tried to steal a kiss, Neji turned his head away. Itachi chuckled as if he were pleased, and whispered hotly in Neji's ear, "Yes, keep fighting. It's one of the things I love best about you."

He grabbed Neji by the jaw and forced his head around and crushed their lips together. There was nothing sexual about it, more like a punch between faces than anything remotely romantic. Itachi pulled away and stood. He walked over to the corner where Neji had seen the pile of chain. He strained his neck to try and see what Itachi was doing, he was untangling the chain. Itachi walked back, and clamped a heavy metal cuff around his ankle.

Finally his arms and legs were untied, and he was able to sit up. His first instinct was to attack Itachi, but he saw the Uchiha subtly change his stance as if he expected Neji to do just that. But what really changed his mind was when he looked up into Itachi's face and saw an expression of happy expectation. He remembered Itachi's words earlier encouraging him to fight. The idea of doing anything that might please his captor made him change his mind, so he scooted back and leaned against the headboard.

Itachi seemed to like it when he fought, so Neji smiled slightly and asked, "Don't you have some pressing business to attend to Mr. Uchiha."

Itachi looked less than pleased with Neji's new calm and detached demeanor, and when Neji called him 'Mr. Uchiha' he saw a grimace. "I do have pressing business, so I must depart. We will talk when I return." Itachi strode over to the door, but paused with his hand on the door. "I know that you are going to try to escape, but I went through everything. There is nothing you could use as a lockpick within the range of your restraints." With this, he opened the door and left.

As soon as Itachi was gone, Neji clamored off of the bed and started searching for anything that could help him escape. Itachi hadn't been lying when he said there was nothing he could use as a lockpick. Neji explored his prison, and discovered a wardrobe full of clothes in his size. Itachi had dressed him in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, so he ripped a gray t-shirt out of the closet and threw it on. There was also a small refrigerator full of drinks and food and a cabinet full of dry goods. There was a lush bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and a shower.

Neji looked out the window to see that he was in some kind of high-rise building. He could see the lights of downtown, as well as a few familiar landmarks and determined that he was inside the headquarters of Red Cloud Industries. There had been some rumors around that the Akatsuki Gang owned and controlled the company but there had never been any proof of the claims.

After half an hour of searching, Neji found nothing that would aid in an escape attempt, so he simply sat back on the bed and meditated, the chance for escape would come. For now Neji needed to rest and try to form a plan.

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The doctors determined that Shikamaru had a few broken ribs and a lot of deep bruising, all he had needed was a few ice packs and time to heal. Shikamaru was finally getting discharged with some painkillers and instructions to take it easy. Yeah. Right.

He stopped by his apartment only to shower and change before he headed to the office. As soon as he walked through his usual work area people kept stopping him and asking if he was okay, he assured them all that he was fine. His face was still covered in bruises, but the swelling had gone down. He looked more or less like himself again. He didn't care about appearances, all he cared about was getting Neji back. The Nara finally made it to his office and closed the door behind him.

Shikamaru's office was a fair size, but it was so packed with books, maps, boxes of evidence and stacks of case files that it looked more like a storage room with a desk jammed into it than someone's office. Shika didn't mind though he found the clutter comforting and familiar. He powered on his computer and logged in. He searched through files and cases, trying to find some connection to Itachi that he could exploit.

Pulling up the case file he searched through the list of crimes that bad been attributed to the Uchiha, and was shocked at the brutal nature of some of his crimes. Murder, torture, blackmail there wasn't much that Itachi hadn't done. Shika heard a knock on his door, and yelled "Come in!"

Naruto made his way into Shikamaru's cramped office, and perched himself on a pile of boxes. "I found out that Orochimaru owns and operates out of a club downtown a place called The Snake's Den. If Sasuke works for him, there is a good chance that he could be there tonight."

"I need you to come with me there tonight, we need to find Sasuke and see what he knows."

"If he sees me he will recognize me. What if he tries to run?"

"We are going to make him come to us. If Sasuke is anything like his brother he gets extremely jealous, am I right?"

"Yeah, but how is that any help to us?"

"I have a plan. Naruto, it is already 8 o'clock, pretty soon the clubs will all be in full swing. We need to blend in. Lets go down to the warehouse and see if we can't find something to wear."

In the basement level there was a huge room that most agents referred to as "the warehouse" where they kept clothing make-up wigs, anything and everything you could need to disguise yourself. Shika sent Naruto to find something to wear while he went over to the mirror and camouflaged the bruises on his face. He made a mental note to thank Ino for forcing him to learn how to do makeup.

After his face was bruise free, he rifled through all the clothes until he found something appropriate for the occasion. Shikamaru pulled on a pair of tight jeans and an Affliction shirt. He pulled his hair down and let it frame his face. He grabbed a heavy gold chain with a diamond studded skull, a Rolex and a gaudy pair of diamond ear studs to give him the appearance of a clubgoer.

Naruto came out from behind some racks dressed in some distressed jeans and a blue button up, that he left open well past his chest. He had a platinum and diamond watch gleaming on his wrist. Naruto laughed when he saw Shika. "Oh my god you don't look like yourself at all."

"Isn't that the point? Alright, when we get there we are going to find Sasuke, but we have to make it seem like we don't know he is there. Step two is to make him jealous enough that he will confront us, and hopefully we can get him alone. Got it?"

Naruto nodded, and they headed out into the Snake's Den.

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I know it's a little short, but I hope you enjoy it! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Hi everyone! Hope you are all happy for a new update! Please read and tell me what you think! Thank you all for reading and I apologize for any mistakes.

THIS IS THE REVISED CH. 7. THE ENDING OF THE CHAPTER WAS REMOVED AND REWRITTEN IN MORE DETAIL IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

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Shikamaru and Naruto danced-slash-shoved their way through the sweaty grinding bodies crammed in the club and made their way toward the back to Orochimaru's personal VIP section. The music was cranked up so loud that Shika could feel the bass in his chest. Shikamaru was restless, Neji had been missing for over 24 hours and being at this club didn't feel like he was doing anything real. He wanted to be out there shoving his 9 mil into Itachi's mouth and blowing out the back of his skull, but that would have to wait.

When they finally reached the back of the club and the VIP section was within view they scanned the faces of Orochimaru's worthy few and quickly spotted Sasuke lounging on the purple velvet sofa at Orochimaru's right hand. He seemed completely at ease with a thin cigarette hanging carelessly from his mouth almost as if he weren't holding it there at all and gravity had simply yet to notice.

Shika felt a pang of guilt when he saw the look of anguish that passed over Naruto's handsome features. He pulled the blonde with him and positioned them close to the front of the crowd dancing around the blocked off VIP section. The Nara leaned up and shouted in Naruto's ear, "Try to act like you're happy to be here with me. Make him jealous."

"Sorry I try to be more fun on dates." He yelled with a sheepish grin. Shika smiled dauntingly and pulled the blond flush to his body. Their faces were mere inches apart and they could taste each others breath. Shikamaru took the lead as he started a sexual grind that was as intense and frantic as the beats throbbing through the speakers and possessing the bodies on the dance floor. It didn't take long for the people around them to notice the two gorgeous men practically fornicating on the dance floor, and before long he saw that they achieved gaining Sasuke's attention.

The Uchiha was no longer laying back, he was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his cigarette crushed between the fingers of his shaking hand. Shika knew it was time to put the icing on the cake and pulled Naruto down, bringing their mouths together in a kiss that seemed to startle him at first but soon was deepened until they were tongue-fucking each other with abandon. He could barely hear the whistles and catcalls from around them with the throbbing in his ears. Shika's heart was pounding and he was having trouble remembering why he was there other than to get into Naruto's tight jeans.

Suddenly he felt himself yanked away from that hot, wet cavern and the fantasy was shattered as his wits came back to him in a rush. Standing between them was an obviously pissed Sasuke. He grabbed Naruto's arm in an iron grip and dragged him toward a door that had to lead to the offices and private rooms. Naruto grasped Shika by the shirt making sure to take him along. Once they had been dragged into an empty office Sasuke finally turned to Naruto red-faced and seething, looking ready to rip his head off. Then he noticed that Shika was there, he grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall so hard the Nara felt the sheetrock crack.

He couldn't contain the gasp of pain that shot out of his mouth as he fresh bruises made contact. "Who do you think you are touching him like that! I'll ki-"

Naruto pulled Sasuke away and caught him with a stiff right hook that laid the raven on his ass. "You shut your fucking mouth. You don't get a say in who touches me anymore. Now listen up you son of a bitch we need to know where Itachi is. Now."

The sudden change of topic seemed to shock Sasuke into silence. His face contorted into a look of confusion, then understanding as he realized he had fallen for their ruse. He smirked "Why should I tell you?"

"Because he has kidnapped a friend of ours and we need to get him back. So tell me."

"Itachi doesn't take prisoners. I am sorry to tell you but your friend is dead. Either that or he is being tortured for information."

"He isn't dead we know that. Itachi wouldn't kill him after all it took to get him back." Naruto realized he had said too much as soon as the sentence was out.

"Who are you talki- Oh. So he finally went after Neji Hyuuga. No surprise there, the two of them used to be so close until my brother tried to kill him that is. What's a Hyuuga matter to a couple of CIA agents anyway? Heh, I never would've pegged Neji a rat but sometimes you just cant tell. Nevermind the torture, I would be more concerned about rape at this point." He said with a laugh.

Thats when Shika lost it. He jumped on top of Sasuke and slammed his head to the floor. "Tell me where he is you goddamn traitor! Tell me right now or I will kill you, you lying snake."

This seemed to amuse him. "So I guess you've been a bit naughty Nara, you know fraternization between agents and assets is forbidden. I wont tell you, and you wont kill me, you don't have the stomach."

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to laugh. " Don't underestimate me, I wasn't always a cop. You wouldn't be the first person I killed. You would be... let me think... number ninety-six. Wow, I didn't realize I was almost to a hundred. Do I have the stomach for it you disgraceful little fuck? The answer is hell yes."

He pulled his gun from the back of his waistband and pressed it under the raven's pale chin, and for the first time Shika actually saw fear come into Sasuke's eyes. At this point Naruto stepped in and pried The Nara off, pushing him away. "Cool it man, he's just being a dick. You need to get some perspective here, you're too close to this."

Naruto turned back to Sasuke as he was getting to his feet. "Look, just tell us where he is."

"Why would I do that? What's in it for me?"

"What do you want, Sas?" The nickname slipped out of him so naturally, and his heart lurched painfully when he saw the smile flicker at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. The only true expression he had shown all night.

"Kiss me."

The two words hung in the air like a bad joke, waiting for someone to laugh. Finally Shika responded,"That's it I am definitely gonna kill him now."

However, Naruto pushed his gun hand back down and walked over to Sasuke. He grabbed the Uchiha by the back of the neck and forced their lips together. He slipped his tongue inside and poured all of his bottled up emotion from the past year into it. When they had been together they had fought like cats and dogs, but this... they were always good at this.

Before he knew it he had pushed Sas up against the wall and was plundering his mouth. It was like the taste of ambrosia, once you tasted it's sweetness everything else just tasted of ash. His kiss earlier with Shikamaru had been hot, but there would never be anyone else who made him burn this way. His heart was broken, and what little had been left was now being ground into nothingness by the decadent taste of this man, his soulmate. The love of his life...

Naruto pulled away and did his best to hide the sadness he was sure was all over his face, and to hold back the tears threatening to wrack his body. "Where is he?" He demanded ashamed that his voice had cracked.

Sasuke cleared his throat, he hadn't expected one kiss to affect him as it did. Orochimaru had tried to teach him to be ruthless toward his enemies, but he realized that no matter what Naruto could never truly be his enemy. "The Red Cloud Industries building, downtown. Itachi lives on the 25th floor."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Shika was out the door, and shoving his way back to the entrance. Hoping against hope that he would be able to save Neji before anything happened to him.

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Neji could hear Itachi's footsteps approaching, but didn't move out of his mediation pose. He'd had a few hours to calm himself, and focus his mind on escape. He was a trained professional after all, and this wasn't the first time he had been captured by an enemy. Itachi liked to play mind games, but Neji could give as good as he got.

He knew that Itachi still looked to him as the same naïve teenager he had been when he left, but Neji was much stronger, faster and smarter than as a kid, and he wouldn't fall for that weasel's tricks again.

Itachi stood at the foot of the bed and stared at his prize. He couldn't believe that he finally had his Neji back with him. As he sat there, Neji radiated peace and tranquility. For the first time he saw a glimpse of his old flame, the beautiful creature he had fallen in love with. All too soon however, his eyes opened and met his with a look of icy indifference. It infuriated Itachi to no end, and he swore that Neji would burn for him before the night was through.

Neji opened his eyes to see Itachi looking at him with the same love he remembered from when they were young. He had yearned to see that expression for too long, and now all it did was make him want to distance himself further.

Itachi crawled up the bed toward Neji until he was on all fours and their lips were just shy of touching. Neji didn't move, nor did his expression change. He simply met Itachi's eyes with the same bland expression. But on the inside his heart was racing, and he couldn't help the small voice in his head whispering for him to close the diminutive gap between them. Finally with slow deliberation Itachi moved forward and gently laid his lips against Neji's unforgiving mouth.

Heat bloomed across Neji's pale skin starting from his mouth and radiating through all his extremities. He wanted to cry because as much as he hated Itachi, his body still responded to those lips, and he had to lock his muscles to keep himself from moving. He made himself into a statue because he knew what the raven wanted, and that was his passion, the same fire that had made their brief time together when they were young so beautiful.

Itachi pushed his love back onto the bed and covered his body with his own. Neji still hadn't said anything or even responded to his advances. The Hyuuga's arms lay limply by his sides as his neck was assaulted by open-mouthed kisses. When he pulled back and looked at Neji's face, he was still a blank slate staring up at the red canopy draped above them. He was starting to get frustrated by the lack of response.

"Stop this childish behavior Neji. I know you want this just as much as I do."

Neji lifted his head, met his captor's eyes and quietly spoke, "My body may still respond to you but there is nothing you will ever be able to do to make me truly want you again. I hate you." And he let his head flop back onto the pillow.

Itachi simply lost it, he vaulted up from the bed and zoomed out the door slamming it behind him. Neji smiled in a self satisfied way. The bedroom door banged back open and before he could move he felt a prick on his arm. He pulled the small dart out of his skin and looked at the door, but the room seemed to be spinning, and he was having a hard time putting his thoughts in order. Then everything went black.

Neji awoke still on the bed, but his arms were tied tightly behind his back and his feet spread with some kind of bar with shackles. His head felt like it was full of cotton and he blinked a few times to clear the blurriness in his vision. He could hear a faint buzzing, and he looked down to see what it was. Jutting from between his hips was his swollen, red erection. There were about six small, egg shaped vibrators attached to a string tied around the length of his penis.

The subtle vibration felt good at first but as his senses returned the pleasure quickly began to turn into pain as his cock became more and more sensitive. Then another buzzing started this one inside his ass. And he bowed off the bed involuntarily as the toy came into contact with his prostate. He looked up to see Itachi standing in the corner holding two small black remotes, but he had to close his eyes as a wave of spasms wracked his body.

Itachi was getting quite a show as Neji rolled around and moaned, trying to remove his devices without the use of his hands. His head was tossed back against the pillow and turning side to side as he tried to hold in the cries, but failed miserably. With the push of a button on each controller, he sped the vibration up a notch. Neji screamed as ribbons of white seed sprang from his cock.

There were a few moments of relief after Neji came, but they quickly subsided as his cock doubled its sensitivity after his orgasm. His genitals were burning with pain as the vibration continued steadily, he tried to turn over and get the toys off by rubbing against the bedspread, but it was too tight,and the added stimulus of the silk bedspread forced another orgasm. This time there was no relief, only pain as his cock exploded for a second time. He couldn't control the whimpers and moans that were pouring from his mouth.

Itachi was about to come. Watching his Neji roll around and buck his hips, screaming and moaning was more than he could take. He hadn't even touched himself yet, but the pressure in his cock was monumental. When his pet lifted his eyes, and he saw the expression of painful rapture painting his features he couldn't hold it anymore. He could feel the wet heat shoot out into his satin boxers and collapsed against the wall.

Neji was dying, he could feel it. There was no feeling anywhere in his body except the burn spreading from his loins. "Itachi! Please turn it o-aahhh... Oh god! Please."

Neji's begging brought a smile to Itachi's thin mouth, but instead of turning it off he just turned the buzzing up another crank. A scream of agony ripped from Neji's throat echoing off the red walls.

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Hoped everyone enjoyed the chapter! And don't forget to REVIEW! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! I felt like the end of the last chapter felt rushed, so I deleted the last bit at the end and am rewriting it in this chapter. Nothing else changed. Just the last section. Thank you all for reading. And as always sorry for any mistakes. Please REVIEW!

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Shikamaru couldn't think, all that was running through his head was 'SAVE NEJI SAVE NEJI SAVE NEJI'. The cold wind whistled in his ears as he barged through the parking lot. He could hear Naruto's cries to wait as he sprinted to the car. Fumbling his keys out of his pocket as he neared his black SUV.

Naruto finally caught up to him and slammed him against the car, panting heavily. "Stop for just a second. Think about what you're doing, if you bust in there half-cocked all you are going to do is get yourself killed. You can't help Hyuuga if you're dead!"

Shika collapsed against the side of his car and let his head fall back with thud. He banged it a few times, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. He opened his eyes and focused on Naruto's sea blue ones. "If we are going to get into that building we are going to need Aburame, Chouji and any other agents you can find that owe you a favor. This is gonna have to be under the radar. I don't know how far the Akatsuki's reach goes, and I sure as hell don't want them knowing were coming."

"Cho will help us, and I have a few strings I can pull. I could put together a team of probably seven or eight."

"That'll work. You start making calls, I am taking us to see Shino."

Shikamaru pulled up outside the glass and steel monstrosity where Shino owned the penthouse and parked. The computer expert opened the door as soon as they reached it. Letting them in to the dimly lit apartment. Shikamaru had been here before, but he could never get used to the feeling. Almost every inch of the walls was covered in some kind of cables and wires. There was a constant buzzing, as if they were surrounded by a million small insects. He had no idea how the man could stand all of the electricity. Every surface visible was covered in broken and dismantled electronics.

"Red Cloud Inc., right?" Shino was a man of few words, and never spoke more than the absolute minimum.

"Yeah we need to get in and up to the 25th floor. Can you do it?" Shino gave him a droll look through his ever-present shades.

He shuffled through a bunch of windows on his computer, stopping here or there to check things. Shika knew that he was going as fast as he could, but was quickly getting restless. He paced back and forth behind the Aburame as he waited. Finally Shino got up from his swivel chair and rummaged around through some boxes until he found a key card and a bunch of wireless headsets.

He took the card to his computer and messed around with some programs before he slowly ran the card through a small gray device that looked like a credit card scanner. He put the headsets in a small black bag and handed them to Shika and simply said, "For communication." Then the card. "Elevator. I will disable the alarms before you breach. There will be security guards."

Aburame gave them a flat stare that was obviously code for 'Leave. Now.'

Shika shook his hand, "I owe you one. Anything you need, I'm your man."

"Okay."

Naruto drove them to a parking lot less than a block away from the building, and parked. As they waited for the other agents to arrive, Shika was absolutely vibrating in his seat. Naruto put a supportive hand on his arm. "This is always the worst part. Waiting. I want to thank you. Seeing Sasuke tonight wasn't easy, but I needed it. Thanks for being there with me."

Shika met the Uzumaki's intense stare. "How much I wish I could say my motives were so pure. But I hope you got some closure my brother. Thank you for doing this with me."

The other agents they had called in favors from pulled up one at a time until they were all there. They gathered in a circle, and Shika handed out headsets. He filled them in on his tactical plan, and made sure that everyone had guns and plenty of ammo.

The various agents got into their positions, and Shika gave Shino the signal to cut the the alarms. The agents were divided into two teams who went in separately, and covered him as he sprinted for the elevators on the far side of the lobby that was turning into the O.K. Corral. He made it to the doors and called the lift. Someone put a gun to the back of his neck and told him not to move. Before a second could pass, he had spun around grabbing the firearm from its owner and butting him in the face with it.

The silver doors slid open and Shika rushed in, finding the key reader and swiping the one Shino had provided him with. The light blinked red and gave a negative beep. His heart started to race, and he swiped the card a second time. This time it accepted and he gratefully hit the button for the 25th floor. It seemed as if he spent an eternity waiting on the elevator to reach it's destination. The Nara flinched at every quiet 'bing' for each floor they passed.

Finally the doors released him, and he jogged out of the box and down a long hallway painted a dark green and dotted with various works of art. He could hear distant screams coming from farther along, and he sped his pace. He was booking it down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him, until he reached the source of the disturbance.

Spread on the bed was a very naked, Neji. His eyes were clamped shut and his mouth was open in a scream of pure agony. Itachi was forcing sexual torture upon the long haired angel. Every cord in his body was tightened to the point that his muscles seemed to be fluttering. Then his white eyes opened and looked at him, almost as if he had sensed his presence. When he saw Shikamaru in the doorway, his back arched so far off the bed, he was almost doing a back-bend. Streams of white were shooting from his swollen tip, but Shika could see that it wasn't from pleasure.

He was being forced to orgasm, and when Neji let out a pathetic whimper Shikamaru lost it. He turned and tackled the distracted Itachi to the floor. Putting all his strength into his arms as he brought his fists down on Itachi over and over until he was bloodied and still. Another small shout from Neji brought his attention around, and the Nara rushed over to the bed. He gingerly removed the devices that were causing Neji so much pain, and trying not to hurt him more while untying him.

Then Neji said the most beautiful words he could imagine.

'

"I knew you would come."

Shikamaru pulled the beautiful man into his arms and let out a sob that he hadn't realized he had been suppressing until now. Suddenly, Neji tensed up, and Shika knew what was wrong. Just as the again-conscious Itachi plunged a blade into his back and shoved Shika to the ground, and wrapping his slender hands around the Nara's neck, the weight of their bodies pushing the knife in deeper. He clawed at Itachi's hands, but couldn't break the hold, his head was starting to feel light, and darkness was creeping in around the edges of his vision.

He heard a bang, and the grip on his neck was loosened. Shika pulled in gasps of air, trying to remain conscious. He looked over to see Neji frozen with Shikamaru's gun still extended in his shaking hand. Then to Itachi who was laying on his back, a small dark hole right between his eyebrows.

There was silence after the shot rang out, Shikamaru was in shock. He couldn't really feel the blade in his back, due to all the adrenaline coursing through his system. He finally turned his face back to Neji whose pale eyes were the size of saucers.

He kneeled next to the traumatized Hyuuga and slowly pried the gun from his stiff fingers. He cupped Neji's cheek and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Neji. You saved my life."

Just then, Naruto burst into the room with his gun held out, ready to fire. He quickly dropped it when he saw the two of them on the bed, and Itachi's lifeless body on the floor. The blond rushed over and started freaking out about the butterfly knife protruding from his shoulder.

"Pull it out." He groaned.

Naruto grabbed the handle and removed the painful piercing in one smooth yank. He could feel the blood run down his back, but ignored it in favor of finding something to cover Neji with. He opened the wardrobe and pulled out the first thing he found, a white shirt and gray cotton pants. He put his gun to the shackle on Neji's ankle and blew the thing off.

He helped Neji get dressed, as he could tell from his stiff movements that he was still in pain. Then he pulled him up off the bed and helped him to the elevator.

When they reached the bottom floor, Shikamaru was met with a steaming Sarutobi Asuma. "What did you think you were doing? Pulling a mission without clearance! I could have your badge for this! You know very well that the FBI has jurisdiction on all missing persons. If they catch wind of this, it is gonna be an inter-agency relations nightmare. I want a full report about this on my desk tomorrow morning, no excuses Nara!" Shikamaru knew him well enough to see that he was posturing for the other agents, because as he passed, Asuma patted his shoulder and grumbled, "Nice work, pineapple head."

Shikamaru managed to haul Neji to his car, and put him in the seat. Once Shika was in the car, he collapsed back against his seat and closed his eyes, relieved that it was finally over. Neji still hadn't said anything, but he felt a cold hand intertwine with his and he gripped back. That simple connection was all that needed to be communicated between them, until finally Shika had to release him so he could drive them away.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Shika asked.

"No, please take me home." Was Neji's weak response.

When they pulled up outside his building, Shika helped Neji out of the car and up the stairs into the building. When he knocked on the door, Sakura answered it immediately, nearly ripping the door off its hinges in her rush. "They're back! He's okay." She yelled.

Hinata rushed over, and Neji stumbled forward into her open arms and hugged her tight to his chest. "Oh Neji, I was so worried. I don't know what I would have done if you anything had happened to you."

He stayed like that for a few minutes, holding his cousin and taking comfort from her gentle embrace. Finally he released her, and Sakura told him to go and rest. He limped down the hall, followed closely by Shikamaru who helped him into bed. Shikamaru offerred to get him some tea, and traipsed down the hall to the kitchen.

As soon as he was alone, his body couldn't hold in the emotions anymore, and he shook with the force of the sobs ripping from his throat. He tried to stop, and pull himself together before Shikamaru returned, but it was no use he couldn't halt the tears that poured like a waterfall down his cheeks.

Shikamaru opened the door to Neji's room holding a cup of tea. His heart throbbed as he saw Neji curled up, body shaking as he cried. Shika put the cup down on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed his hand over Neji's shoulder and side gently.

"If you value your life, you will never tell anyone about this."

"Are you alright?"

"I will be tomorrow. But just for tonight, I can't be okay... just not tonight."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Shika lowered himself down next to Neji, and lay next to him. Neji scooted back until his back was against Shikamaru's front. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around him and they lay there like that until the tide of Neji's tears had subsided.

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Thank you for reading, please DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9

The muses have grabbed a hold of me lately, so here is yet another update! Thank you for all of your lovely reviews. I hope you will keep reviewing and let me know what you think. I love you all, and as always sorry for any mistakes.

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It had been almost three weeks since the incident with Itachi, and Neji was not a happy camper. He had assumed that he and Shikamaru would have moved further along in their relationship, the two had been spending time together. But everytime Neji attempted anything on the Nara he would come up with a reason to escape. Neji knew that Shika wanted him, but he couldn't figure out why he was being so shy.

All of these thoughts were crowding up his mid as he sat in the parlor waiting on the Elders to arrive and bequeath his newest assignment. The Hyuugas hadn't called on him for a mission until this morning. The family always had some kind business running, but Neji was rarely used to run guns or drugs. He was more of a special assignment case, where they only called him in if a delicate or particularly difficult situation came up.

The Elders finally arrived, and Neji sat up straight, putting on his most serious face and waiting for them to address him first.

"Neji something of importance has come up and it requires your special skill set."

"Of course. I am always honored to serve the family." It took all his willpower not to roll his eyes.

"Have you ever heard of Sound Four Technologies?"

"The French company? Yes, if I'm not mistaken they mostly are contracted by the government."

"Correct. They have a piece of equipment that we would like to obtain. It is a next generation computer drive, much more advanced than anything that has ever been created before. Here is a dossier explaining your mission. For obvious reasons you can't take it with you, so you will need to read it now." A manilla folder was slid across the table. Neji reviewed it's contents and returned it.

"I think a week and a half should suffice for this mission."

A few of the Elders made sour faces. "That is longer than usual. I don't want someone stealing it out from under us."

"The security systems described in that booklet are extremely complex. It will take me a while to find someone with the necessary skills to decrypt and disable the alarms and get me access." Really all he was worried about was giving the CIA time to work out a plan.

"Fine, fine. We want to be informed on your progress as it occurs."

"Of course."

"Dismissed."

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Shikamaru was dying. Every time he saw Neji all he wanted to do was find the nearest flat surface and ravish him raw. But the Hyuuga had just been through something traumatic, and he didn't want to take advantage of Neji's weak moment. However, the long-haired man was making refusal near impossible. When they were alone he tried to stave off Neji's wandering hands and piercing eyes, and he kept having to run away to prevent himself from doing something that they might regret.

Shikamaru's cell beeped, and he saw that he had a text from the very man who was occupying his thoughts. 'Got a new assignment. Meet at my place?' Shika confirmed, and headed to Neji's apartment.

Shikamaru knocked on the door and was greeted by Neji in nothing but baggy jeans and a tight white tank that was riding up on his pale torso revealing the band of his underwear. His mouth went dry as he followed the river of chocolate hair that tickled the tight exposed flesh all the way back up to the angelic face that he wanted to take into his hands and kiss until they were both drowning in each others taste.

"Um... so the assignment? What can you tell me?"

Neji looked a little too smug as he answered. "I have been told to steal a next generation computer disk from Sound Four Technologies."

"That's it, just a computer disk?"

"No, it's not just any disk. If the information they provided me with is any indication, this thing is so powerful it could hack into the Pentagon in under a minute. All of the nation's secrets would be at risk for exposure. It is very dangerous in the wrong hands."

"That makes things a bit more serious. We are going to need to consult Aburame on this one, he is the only person working for us that has the knowledge to really give us an idea of what we're working with."

"Plus the security on this building is top of the line, it isn't going to be easy to infiltrate. I hope that he's as good as you say."

"He is. You should put on a shirt and then we will head over there."

Neji smiled and took a few steps toward him until he was backed against the wall and placed a hand on either side, trapping him. He leaned in, almost bringing them close enough to kiss and purred. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Shikamaru?"

The way he said his name was almost a moan, and the sound shot right to his cock. He ducked under Neji's arm and sputtered, "I-I'm gonna go... call Shino, you know to let him know were coming- I mean to say that we are going over there... so I am gonna go do that."

Neji frowned as Shikamaru escaped into the hall. He grumbled as he traipsed to his room and put on a button up and slacks. He met a much more composed Nara in the hall and they went to Shino's.

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"Does the CIA usually let it's tech people work at home?" Neji asked as the approached the Aburame's apartment.

"No, but Shino is the best. And when you're as good as he is, you make your own rules."

The apartment kind of creeped Neji out. There was so much electricity pumping through the room, he felt lightheaded. The place looked more like an electronics graveyard than an apartment. Shino himself was even a little off. He didn't say a word, just listened to Shika and started working on his computer. After a while of silence and the tapping of keys, he turned around and leveled them with a blank stare.

"This building uses a Crystalline Key System. If I am going to create a duplicate I need you to scan the key of a current employee."

"Does it need to be anyone in particular?"

"One of the high ranking employee would be best. Unrestricted access." He dug through a pile of junk next to his desk and pulled out what looked like a small flashlight. "Run this along the bar code until it beeps."

"That is the most I have ever heard you say." Shika joked. "Thanks man."

Shino turned silently to his computers, and the two of them headed back to Neji's place. In the car Neji made a few calls to his Japan contacts to put out some feelers for Sound Four employees. By the time they had reached his place, he already had a line on a man named Kidomaru. Apparently he frequented a jazz club that featured exclusively women. When he heard this, he groaned. He really hated dressing as a woman.

Shikamaru reserved them two tickets on the next flight into Paris. Neji packed everything that he would need, and the two of them were off. The flight to Paris was long, but Neji found that he didn't mind so much now that he had someone who's company he enjoyed. He had never had a real partner before, and it was nice to know that someone had his back regardless of what happened. The situation with Itachi had proven that Shika could truly be trusted.

Although Shikamaru had taken care of the flight, Neji had insisted on booking the hotel. He made sure that they had a room with a single king sized bed. When they arrived in their room Shikamaru sighed when he realized what the Hyuuga had done, but didn't comment on it. For the moment, they simply needed to get ready for the operation.

Kidomaru went to the club every Saturday, and if they missed him tonight they would have to wait an entire week before they could get to him again. It was only a few hours until showtime, and Neji had a lot of work to do if he wanted to pass for a female. Shikamaru stopped him on his way into the bathrooom, and gave him a small white device.

"What's this?"

"You snap it onto your back molar and it changes your voice to sound like a woman's."

"I can impersonate a woman's voice, I'm not an amateur."

"But can you sing like a woman?"

"What!"

"Yeah, the only way I could get you in was as a singer. They didn't need any other kind of help, but one of their regulars was in an accident and can't perform, so I got you in."

"How exactly did you get me in as a singer without an audition or anything?"

"I may have told the owner that you were in a few Broadway plays and quite well known in the states."

Neji sighed and took the device. After installing it, he tested out his voice, and was shocked to hear a woman's throaty tone come from his mouth instead of his usual baritone. "Where did you get this thing?"

Shika smiled. "Shino made it. I told you he was brilliant."

Neji just nodded and headed into the bathroom. He tested the device while he got ready, trying to find a good sound with it. Neji worked on his makeup for a long time, using different shades to soften the hard male lines of his face. By the time he was done, his face was feminine with red lips, smoky eyes and lashes for miles. He used a curling iron to give his straight hair ringlets and makeup on his hairless chest to give the illusion of cleavage.

Finally he used stick-on breast-enhancers to give him a more feminine figure and shaved what little hair he had on his legs. Last he pulled on a backless, black gown with a plunging neckline and slit up to his hip and a pair of red stilettos (that as a man he was ashamed to admit he knew how to walk in). Neji admired himself in the mirror, making sure all his manly bits were tucked away and that his hair covered the scar on his upper back. When he was satisfied, he went back out into the main room.

Shikamaru was stunned. Neji didn't look like a man at all, he looked absolutely like a woman ; a gorgeous woman to boot. He must have stared too long, because Neji snapped at him. "Yes, I look like a woman. I know it's hilarious, get it out of your system."

"It's not. You look... really good in that." The man looked like he had stepped right out of the pages of a magazine. "It's time to go."

As soon as the two of them walked into the club, all eyes were on Neji. Shikamaru understood why, but still felt jealousy well up inside him as other men's eyes roamed Neji's slender body. Quickly the manager rushed over and greeted them. Neji gave him a smoldering look and replied in flawless French. "Hi, I'm supposed to be starting here tonight."

The short bald man blushed and took Neji to the backstage area. Shikamaru spotted their target, and managed to get a seat a few tables to his right. He watched the woman who was up on stage singing in French. She was pretty and had a lovely voice, but in his mind he was comparing her to Neji and she lost. After she left the stage, the manager got on the microphone and announced Neji under his pseudonym Akiko.

When Neji walked out the room fell silent. He took the mic from the flustered and blushing man. Neji stood under the spotlights, looking radiant as the music started up behind him. When he opened his mouth and started to sing My Funny Valentine, Shikamaru was amazed at how good he sounded. He started to make his way through the crowd, stopping here and there to run his fingers through someone's hair, or brush a hand over his chest flirtatiously. Finally he got to Kidomaru, who was so dazzled by Neji he didn't notice when he slipped his wallet out of his jacket pocket.

Next he made his way to Shika's table, he sat down on his lap and slipped the walled into his hand. Then he stood back up and walked away, brushing his fingers along his cheek. Shika quickly found Kidomaru's card and used the device Shino gave him to scan it. Once he was done, Neji took the wallet back and slipped it back into Kidomaru's pocket easily. Then his song was over; he thanked everyone, and left the stage. His performance got a standing ovation, with many customers yelling for more.

Neji came back out and they left together, much to the chagrin of the other customers who tried to convince him to stay. The manager rushed back over, and told Neji he was welcome any time. The two of them got into their rental car and headed back to the hotel. Neji called Aburame and confirmed that Shino received the information, and being told that Shino would overnight the duplicate card to them.

Once they made it back to the room, Neji immediately went to take a shower. Shikamaru set up his laptop and started on the report he would have to turn in when they returned. Before long, he was startled by Neji wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pressing his lips to the tender skin on his neck.

"Neji..." Shikamaru spoke in a warning tone.

Neji swiveled his chair around and brought Shika face to face with him. Neji wasn't wearing anything but a towel draped low on his hips. He leaned forward and brought his lips down on Shikamaru's. But the Nara pushed him away.

"Why won't you kiss me?" Neji asked sounding hurt. "I know you want me, you're already hard just from a kiss."

Shika sighed, "Look, you just went through something really bad... traumatic. I don't want to take advantage of you Neji."

"That's very chivalrous of you, but it's also total bullshit." The Nara met his eyes looking stunned. "I am a grown man, not your drunken prom date. I want you. Right here. Right now."

That was all Shikamaru could take, he shot up from his chair and grasped Neji by the nape bringing their mouths together. He prodded Neji's lips with his tongue and he opened allowing Shika access to the hot cavern that had plagued his dreams since the first time he had lain eyes on him. The Nara guided him backwards until they collapsed on the bed.

He broke the seal of their mouths so he could bite and suck his way down Neji's neck and chest until he reached a pert pink nipple. Shika flicked his tongue over the hard nub, eliciting a gasp from the Hyuuga. Then he pulled it into his mouth sucking and gently biting. Neji's body undulated underneath him and Shika could feel the long-haired mans full erection press against his flat stomach.

Shikamaru slid his hand down and pulled the towel off Neji's hips, exposing his full nude body. The Nara couldn't suppress the shiver of excitement that tingled up his spine at the sight of such a banquet.

"I tried to be a gentleman, but you just keep pushing. I fell like I can't control myself with you." Shikamaru murmured against his heated skin. His tanned hand slid down the pale body until he came to Neji's cock. Grabbing a hold of it, he tugged with gentle strokes making Neji close his eyes and toss his head back.

"Shikamaru..." He moaned, "Ah-Fuck." He couldn't do anything but beg as Shikamaru's rough hand tugged and teased him. He didn't know why he was so worked up over just a handjob, but knowing that it was Shikamaru's hand made his pleasure unbearable. Neji couldn't believe that he was already so close to cumming. And when the Nara leaned down and took the tip of his swollen member between his lips, and massaging it with his tongue he couldn't take any more. "Oh- Shika! I'm coming!"

Shikamaru didn't move back, he simply kept up the suction and reached up a hand to flick his partners sensitive nipples. Neji's essence poured into his mouth, and he swallowed, reveling in the taste. Shika crawled back up Neji's body and plundered his mouth, sharing the taste of the Neji's arousal. When he pulled back, Neji was panting and flushed. "Please Shikamaru... fuck me. Fill me up, God I want you inside me."

The sound of the words pouring from Neji's mouth in that needy tone made him feel as if he was going to pass out. The Hyuuga was absolutely glowing against the blue bedspread, glistening with a fine sheen of sweat, and still hard even though he had just come. "Lube?"

"Uh... top zipper on my bag." Shika left the heat of his partner's body to grab the purple tube and a foil wrapped condom, and when he turned around Neji was touching himself. With one hand was rolling his rose nipple between his fingers, and with the other he was stroking his cock. His back was arched off the bed, and his hair was spread all across the bed and tangled in his limbs. He still had he eyes squeezed shut and his head tossed to the side.

Shikamaru tossed the tube onto the bed, and positioned himself between Neji's spread legs. Neji tried to remove his hands, but Shika stopped him. "No, keep touching yourself." And Neji did as he was ordered.

He started at Neji's knee, slowly kissing his way up his muscled leg closer and closer to the plase he wanted to be. Finally he used his hands to spread the Hyuuga's tight cheeks and used his tongue to trace a circle around Neji's puckered entrance. Neji tried to buck his hips when he made contact, but the Nara used his large palms to hold him in place. More and more, he used his tongue on his partner. Until Neji relaxed enough for him to penetrate with his tongue.

Neji was in heaven as Shika licked and massaged his tender bloom, by the time he pushed the slick muscle inside, Neji was moaning like a whore. "Shikamaru, that feels amazing. But I want you now."

Shika chuckled as he pulled back, his greedy eyes taking in the scene. "Tell me exactly what you want me to do."

Neji was so aroused, he had no patience for games. Usually he would have made the Nara work more for it, but he had been waiting too long to put it off any longer. "You know what I want. Fuck me. Lube up your cock and put it inside me. Now."

Hearing his prize talk dirty to him made the tip of his cock weep against the confines of his clothing. Which made him realize that he was still fully dressed. He practically ripped his clothes off in his hurry, and grabbed the lube, coating three of his fingers and reaching down between Neji's legs. Neji was so ready that his body accepted the first two fingers easily. Shika scissored and loosened his partner until he could fit the third finger. He moved his fingers around until Neji yelped and tightened around his digits. He remembered the spot, where his prostate was and withdrew his fingers.

Neji had wanted to yell at Shika to skip stretching, and skip to the main event. But he knew that it would hurt otherwise, and he wanted the first time with Shikamaru to be perfect. When he was finally ready and Shika withdrew his fingers, he opened his eyes and looked down his body. Shikamaru grabbed the condom and began to open it. Neji reached a hand down and stopped him. "You don't have to wear that if you don't want to. I trust you."

Shika was stunned, and briefly considered wearing it anyway but in the end he tossed it away. He knew that what Neji was really saying was 'Trust me.' And he did. So he grabbed the lube and coated his jutting erection before he leaned down and put the tip against Neji's waiting hole. He looked to Neji for a signal, and the long-haired man nodded. Shika brought his face down to Neji's and kissed him lovingly as he slowly entered him.

Gods, Shikamaru's cock was huge. Neji was being stretched painfully, but he knew that the pain would give way to an unimaginable pleasure soon. He took a few deep breaths as the initial twinge subsided, and when he opened his eyes, he met Shikamaru's worried stare. "Am I hurting you?"

"No, you feel amazing." Neji moved his hips a little to emphasize his point. Shika shuddered, and looked into Neji's pale eyes through his hooded ones. He felt as if he were being swallowed by Neji's heat, and began to thrust, pushing and pulling his hips back with a smooth rhythm. The two of them were filling the room with an orchestra of panting and moaning, accompanied by the sound their hips colliding with a soft 'slap'.

Neji had never felt this way in his life. He felt as if he were possessed as his body undulated and arched of it's own volition. He reached a hand up to Shika's tanned face, and the Nara took his middle and index finger inside his mouth. Then Shika brushed against his prostate, and Neji tightened around him like a vice. He knew he couldn't last much longer, so he used his hand to stroke Neji's cock in time with his increasingly frantic thrusts.

Shikamaru could tell that Neji was about to come, because he was tightening around his cock, and as he tightened, he pulled Shikamaru down with him into an endless spiral of bliss. Neji bowed up off of the bed as every muscle in his body tensed at once, and as he came he shouted, "Shikamaru!"

Hearing Neji scream his name in climax took Shika over the edge, and he poured his seed deep inside Neji as he pulled him close and buried his face in the other's nape, whimpering Neji's name into his flushed skin. Shikamaru collapsed on top of Neji, breathing heavily, still inside him.

"That was the-best-sex-I-have-ever-had." Neji articulated through his heavy breathing.

Shikamaru chuckled. "Me too. I don't think I can move."

Neji wrapped his long legs around the Nara. "Then don't."

When he finally had the energy and his muscles had stopped screaming, Shika gently withdrew from the Hyuuga and lay next to him. Neji curled up on his chest and they fell asleep together for the first time.

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So this was a pretty long chapter, and I hope you were all satisfied with it. Thank you all for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

OH MY GOD! Hell must have frozen over because... could it be... AN UPDATE!

I am so sorry to all the folks who read this! I know my updates take forever, but thank you for all your support and I love you all for your reviews. Honestly they were what inspired me to update. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! And if there are any characters I haven't used yet that you want to see let me know. ok?

ALSO ANYONE WHO REVIEWS GETS A SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK AT THE NEXT CHAPTER!

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There was a very annoying sound. Neji didn't know what it was or where it was coming from but in his half conscious state he reached out and grabbed the offending device, preparing to throw it across the room. Before he could let it fly, it was plucked from his hand and he heard his partner's scratchy voice, thick with sleep. "Agent Nara."

There was some silence as he listened to whatever was being said, Neji opened his eyes and rolled over to look at Shikamaru, who was leaning up against the headboard, the silk sheets falling low on his hips, and the head of his flaccid cock peeking out. The Nara made an extremely erotic picture with his eyes closed and his brows drawn down low. Neji smirked and stretched his body out, arching off the bed and releasing a small moan of relief as he worked out his morning stiffness. When he turned his eyes back to his partner who was saying something about yesterday's assignment, but who's eyes were glued to Neji's mostly exposed skin, Neji realized the Nara was working on some morning stiffness of his own.

The previously flaccid length between Shika's legs was starting to stand at attention, Neji smirked. He could feel his partners eyes, roaming his skin almost as if shadow hands were snaking over his body exploring it and enjoying what they found. The Hyuuga let his hand wander down over his body and find his awakening erection. As his hand slipped under the cover, and gripped his sex he could hear the Nara halt his conversation, then pick it back up with a much less interested tone. Neji began slowly stroking his cock that was now fully erect and hard as stone. He bit his lip, but let a small groan escape.

Neji sat up and turned toward his new lover, crawling over to him on all fours, hunger burning in his eyes and positioned himself astride his companion, letting their lengths brush against each other. Shikamaru bit his cheek and tossed his head back against the headboard with a thump. The Hyuuga took the opportunity to attack the exposed neck with open-mouthed kisses. Shikamaru let out a whimper which he turned into a cough.

The Nara said something noncommittal into the phone and snapped it shut, glaring up at his partner. "Not fucking funny Hyuuga."

"I wasn't trying to make you laugh, I was trying to get you hard. And it looks like I succeeded." Neji punctuated this by reaching between their bodies and giving the Nara's stiff member a gentle squeeze, and eliciting a low moan from his new lover.

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Neji and Shikamaru collapsed back onto the rumpled sheets covered sweat and cum, panting like they had just run a marathon.

The white-eyed man looked at his companion, "How was that?"

The Nara was still panting and shaking, coming down from the best orgasm he had ever had. "That was...god... I don't... just so... HOT!"

Neji chuckled, the furrowed his brows. "Even the part where I..." Neji made a gesture with his hand.

"Especially that part." Shika said with a huge smile, which Hyuuga matched in kind.

"Who was that on the phone earlier?"

"Oh! Aburame, he says we are good to go. The package should arrive any minute. Our meeting at the sound building is in a few hours, so we should shower and change."

Neji insisted that they shower together to "conserve resources" however, their shower was twice as long as it would have taken the two individually because Neji was a handsy bastard.

After they were clean and dressed, Neji put on a pair of contacts that made his eyes look like normal dark brown ones, and pulled his long hair into a low ponytail. The two males were dressed in expensive suits, that gave them an air of influence. They were meeting with the CEO of Sound Corp. under the guise of Ash and Shiro Kurosai, two wealthy brothers looking to invest.

Shortly before it was time to depart, a man in a suit arrived at their door with the key card. After gathering the last of their supplies and breifcases, and heading out.

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Sound Four Technologies was housed in a sprawling glass and steel building on the outskirts of Paris. Neji and Shikamaru pulled up the long drive toward the main building in a sleek black Mercedes, parking close to building in case they needed to make a quick escape. On their way up to the door, Neji discreetly tossed a small black incendiary device into the front bushes.

A short redhead met the two at the door, and introduced herself as Tayuya. She was dressed sharply in a pantsuit, and her long hair fell down to her lower back. She led the two down to the office of Kimimaro Kaguya, CEO and head of the Computer Tech Laboratory. His office was just a few doors down from the targeted lab.

Tayuya knocked softly on the door, and led the two into a huge office. The floors were wood, stained a dark almost-black color. The décor was all black and gray, but the austere and depressing scheme was alleviated by one wall that was nothing but windows that looked out over the surrounding grounds and forest.

"Ash and Shiro Kurosai I presume. Please have a seat." They sat in the two plush armchairs across from Kimimaro, a man with shoulder length platinum blonde hair. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie, under both his eyes was a thin layer of red eyeliner. He was an elegant kind of stunning, his teal eyes shone brightly with ambition.

Neji leaned gracefully on the arm of his chair. "I am going to get straight to the point. Our father passed away recently, leaving us with a substantial inheritance. Our accountant has expressed to us that investing some of this money would be beneficial for tax purposes. We know that you are one of the most prominent technology companies in the world. What kind of turnaround could we expect?"

Kimimaro raised an elegant eyebrow. "That would depend on the size of the investment, and your personal restrictions on how it should be spent. There are many branches of our company, researching everything from cancer treatments to computer tech to weaponry and everything inbetween. Is there a particular sum you had in mind, or a branch in which to invest?"

Shikamaru leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers. "We are looking to invest about 15 million, but we aren't sure if we want it to be all in one company, or if we want to spread it around. As far as what we want to sponsor, I am mostly interested in what you are working on in the computer technology lab. I have read that it is the best in the world, and that you have geniuses from all over the world working for you. What do you think Ash?" Shikamaru looked over to Neji with a serious look.

"I don't know Shiro, you did send me that article on Sound Weapons Division. What if we halved it between those two? Can you give us an estimate from there?"

They spent the next twenty minutes discussing the merits and drawbacks of different decisions, until a loud beeping began to echo throughout the building.

Kimimaro's eyebrows drew down. "That's the fire alarm, wait here, let me go and see what's happening."

As soon as Kimimaro left, Neji and Shikamaru leapt into action. The Nara pulled a lockpick set out of his briefcase and handed it to Neji who already had the key card in his hand, both of them put in earpieces so Shika could signal Neji if Kimimaro came back.

They slipped out into the hallway and Shikamaru took up watch, while Neji made his way down the hall to the lab, swiping the card and striding in.

Neji walked through the emptied lab and found the cabinet holding current projects. The lock was nothing, and the Hyuuga picked it in about five seconds. He always found it amusing how much people put their trust in expensive alarms, and ignored the smaller things. Since no one was supposed to be able to get this far, there was no reason to put any further security on a simple cabinet.

Neji was looking through the boxes on the shelves, searching for the correct device when his partner came in on his earbud. "Neji get out of there, I hear him coming!" Finally Neji found the device, it was quite small maybe the size of his hand. He grabbed it and slipped it into his coat pocket, ran out to Shikamaru, and the two of them made it into Kimimaro's office just as he was coming around the corner. Neji put the drive into his briefcase, and the two of them positioned themselves naturally, starting up a casual sounding conversation as the CEO made his way back into the room.

"...I really prefer Porche to Mercedes, your car is fine, but it's all about craftsmanshi- Oh! Mr Kaguya, is everything all right?" Neji said turning toward their host with a look of concern.

"Yes, of course there was a small fire out by the front bushes. Proably that damn receptionist smoking out there again." He sounded angry, but quickly changed his tone. "Anyway, have the two of you come to a decision?"

Neji gave a small smile. "Yes, we are confident that you will spend our money in a most useful fashion, but we would like to start out with a smaller donation, say... 3 million to start?"

"The Kaguya smiled like he had just won the lottery. "Yes! That sounds like a fantastic offer. Should I draw up the paperwork?"

Shikamaru stood up, prompting Neji to follow. "Indeed, you have all our information. Fax it over to us, and we will have our lawyers look them over, and if all is correct we can set up a wire transfer."

"That sounds excellent, would you like to have drinks tonight, maybe go over some of the finer details?"

"I am sorry, but our plane leaves in a few hours, we have much to do back home. Hopefully all of this will be settled by the time we return, and we can all go out for drinks to celebrate."

"Of course. Please have a safe trip home."

With that, the two made their way back out the door, past the scorched bushes and into their car. No one any the wiser that they had just stolen something extremely valuable.

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After their flight landed, the exhausted team made their way to Aburame's apartment, as they had been ordered. Shikamaru had offered to wait until morning since their plane didn't arrive until after midnight, but was informed that Shino was quite alright with it.

When they arrived, and handed the stolen property over to the tech geek he seemed almost... giddy. Shikamaru had never seen the man so much as crack a smile, but he was full on grinning examining the thing, and muttering things to himself. But then, he looked up at them with his usual serious expression.

"It is a shame, but I am going to have to take some parts out of this. I have been informed that you will deliver the real thing, but without this part..." He pulled off a small square piece. "It will just be a very powerful part, but it won't be a danger to national security."

He handed the device back to Neji, and turned away to continue studying the part he had removed. "Thanks. We will let you get back to work." Neji said heading for the door. Shino didn't appear to hear him, or at least didn't think it necessary to respond.

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Now that their mission was complete, both men felt at ease. All that was left was for Neji to deliver the package to the Hyuugas in the morning.

Shikamaru was driving toward Neji's house when the Hyuuga turned to him. "Before you take me home, should we make a pit stop at your apartment?"

"For what?" Neji simply raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'Duh, whaddaya think?' Shika just smiled, and changed his route to take them to his place.

The partners stumbled into Shikamaru's apartment, already fused at the mouth, Neji was pressed up against him as if he were trying to be absorbed through osmosis. Shikamaru kicked the door shut, and Neji slammed him up against the nearest wall plundering his mouth and moaning, already ready to burst.

The Hyuuga detached their mouths and began to kiss down the tan column of Shikamaru's neck, while simultaneously unbuttoning his prey's shirt and touching any exposed skin he could get his hands on.

The Nara began to respond in kind, ripping Neji's cashmere sweater over his head, and working on the front of his slacks, that fell in a puddle at the white-eyed man's feet. Soon they were both clad in nothing but their boxer-briefs and both of their hair fell loosley.

Shikamaru pushed Neji away and separated himself, panting and eyeing the otherexually breathless man with undisguised lust. Neji's body was pale and muscled, littered with scars like a map of all the battles he had endured. Shika knew that his body was similarly disfigured from his time as an agent, and before when he had worked with his parents.

He began to walk backward, drawing Neji toward his bedroom. The Hyuuga followed him, studying him with those beautiful, special eyes that had seen so much.

Shikamaru's room was medium sized, but dominated by a huge bed with forest green hangings making the thing look like something from a fairy tale. The Nara sat and scooted himself back on the bed until he was lounging in the middle, with his body sprawled out, propped up on his elbows. Neji speculated that he looked like a gift from the gods in the low light. His hair was mussed from Neji's rough hands, and his caramel skin glowed against the green silk sheets.

The Hyuuga climbed up on the bed and prowled over to his lover, devouring him with his pupil-less eyes. When he reached him, and was hovering over him on all fours, Shikamaru swept his leg and switched their positions so that he was on top. Neji wrapped his legs around his lover and pulled him down into a slow grind between their underwear clothed erections.

Shika brought their lips back together in a scorching kiss, practically fornicating his partner's mouth with his slick muscle. Shikamaru slowly made his way down the other's body, leaving a trail of wet kisses until he reached the waistband of Neji's last article of clothing. He slid the garment down pale legs, until his prize lay before him completely exposed, surrounded by a forest of his own chocolate tresses, strands of which were stuck to his kiss swollen lips.

Shikamaru was ready to cum just from the erotic sight. The next words out of his companion's mouth were almost his undoing. "Please Shikamaru... make love to me. God I NEED it..." He arched his hips off the bed, making his leaking cock bounce with the motion.

Shikamaru was a man who could take a lot, but Neji Hyuuga in his bed begging for him was not something his brain was equipped to handle. He blindly reached into his nightstand and fumbled around until he found his bottle of lube. The uncapped it and poured some over his fingers, the smell of coconut drifted through the air. (That one's for you Prism0467)

He brought himself back to his lovers mouth, and penetrated his mouth with his tongue as his finger slipped inside the tight bloom of muscle. Neither of them had much patience and soon Neji was tossing his head back and forth moaning Shikamaru's name.

"I can't take it anymore! Please fuck me NOW!"

Shikamaru was also at the end of his rope, he slickened his quivering member, and slid inside his lover in one fell swoop. He gave Neji a moment to adjust, soon the Hyuuga was wiggling underneath him, so he drew back, and re-entered with a sharp snap of his hips. They both moaned.

The pace was immediately rough and animalistic, drawing near inhuman sounds from them both. Shikamaru's thigh and back muscles were burning with strain, so he slid his arms underneath Neji and pulled him upright, so he was on top straddling the Nara. Neji moved himself up and down keeping time with Shikamaru's previous pace. This new position aligned Shika's cock exactly with Neji's prostate. Every stroke caused Neji to tighten, around him.

"SoAHHH... fucking clo-oh-oh-se Nej." Shika managed to gasp out.

"Ugh! Me too!"

Neji released a string of expletives, followed by a shout of Shikamaru's name. And released, covering himself and Shikamaru with his pearly essence.

Shikamaru's muscles locked in place as Neji squeezed like a vice around him, and he too found bliss, spilling himself deep inside his lover, as Neji collapsed on top of his body squishing his cum between them.

In that moment, Shikamaru was so happy. But what followed was something he would never wish on his worst enemy.

The light turned on, and two heads snapped to the doorway where stood the last two people he wanted to see, especially while he was still connected intimately with his lover.

"Sorry son, we didn't know you were gonna have company. Nice to see you again Hyuuga." Shikaku puffed out on a cloud of smoke.

"Although, that was very sexy you know." Said Yoshino with a pervy smirk.

"WHAT THE FUCK! GET OUT OF HERE!"

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Anyone who reviews will receive a special sneak peek of the next chapter, and the awkward meeting of the parents! SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

I want to give a special thanks to all my beautiful reviewers! I love you all sooooo much! Enjoy!

Anyone who reviews will get a SNEAK PREVIEW of the next chapter. (if you have an account)

"WHAT THE FUCK? GET OUT OF HERE!"

Shikaku let out a low chuckle and pulled his wife out into the living room.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Neji and buried his face in the crook of his shoulder. "I am so fucking sorry. Oh my god... oh my god... tell me that did not just happen."

Neji hugged Shikamaru back, and smiled, kissing him on the side of the head. "It's ok, really. I have had a lot more people see me do a lot worse. I am not ashamed to be caught with you, but I could have thought of a better way to meet your mother." He nudged Shika in his ribs, and pulled back giving his lover a brilliant smile.

Shikamaru didn't know what to say, he thought that Neji would be pissed, or at least embarrassed. But his lover was taking his parents ridiculousness all in stride, and even trying to make HIM feel better.

Neji slowly removed himself from atop his lover, their bodies separating and causing him to flinch at the slight pain in his rear. Shika stood with his lover, and both put their underwear back on. Just then The Nara realized that their clothes were haphazardly strewn around the foyer.

Shikamaru simply pulled a couple pairs of pajama pants and tanks out of his drawer and handed one set to Neji, who took them and dressed. Before they walked out, Shika pulled his partner into a breathtaking kiss. As he pulled back, a small string of saliva still connected their mouths. Neji stuck out his tongue and broke the connection, pulling the excess into his own mouth. The Nara let out a soft moan, for some reason he found that so fucking hot, and he could already feel the beginnings of another erection starting in his pants.

He remembered his parents out in his living room, and little Shika decided he didn't want to play anymore. He sighed and walked out into the living room, trying to banish the blush that had taken up residence on his face.

"Mom, Dad, you know that you can't be here. I am supposed to arrest you if I see you. What is it?"

Shikaku looked up at his son in speculation, then turned to his wife. "I told you dear. I said he was banging the Hyuuga, I could tell from how he reacted when the boy was kidnapped."

Yoshino replied with a girlish giggle, "He did well for himself don't you think?"

Shikamaru refused to acknowledge the fact that his parents had walked in on he and Neji in bed. "Tell. Me. What. You. Want. Now."

His parents seemed to only grow more amused at his anger, but his father finally caved. "Do you happen to have any idea why the little Uchiha has been following us around?"

"Sasuke?" Neji piped in.

"That's the one. Little fucker thinks he's pretty slick shit, but I have been around the block a few times. We both knew he was following us from the start. I don't know if it had anything to do with that business with his brother, but I think he might have been trying to get us to lead him to you."

"Why do you think that?"

"It's common sense son. We have no other connection to him but you, and finding the address of a CIA agent is nearly impossible without proper access. Anyway, he followed us here. You need to settle your business with him before I lose my patience and sever the last of the Uchiha bloodline."

Shika leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "If he was really looking for me, then he won't follow you when you leave. If there is nothing else... you have to go."

Suddenly Yoshino leaned forward with a huge smile. "Actually, I did want to ask you about what is going on with you two. When did you-"

"MOM! Not about that. Anything else important?"

Yoshino deflated and shook her head. The two elder Naras stood up to go. Shikaku shook both their hands, squeezing Neji's just a bit harder than was absolutely necessary. Then Yoshino pulled them each into a hug, whispering in Neji's ear, "Please take care of him." Neji gave a small nod and pulled away.

Shikamaru made sure to lead his parents out, lingering at the door so Sasuke could see him.

Shikamaru walked back into the living room to find Neji deep in thought with a frown marring his graceful features. Shikamaru smoothed the concerned wrinkle between Neji's brows and took a seat in the long-haired man's lap.

"Are you ok Nej?"

"No. I don't know what Sasuke wants, but I have a bad feeling."

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The next morning Neji went home to check on Hinata, who with the help of Sakura was adapting to normal life. The two of them had been taking classes to learn Braille, and most of their afternoons were spent out exploring the city. Neji was so glad to have found the pink-haired nurse, he didn't know what he would have done without her help.

Hinata was happy to see him, and threw her arms around him when he got home. The depression the girl had been feeling since losing her sight seemed to be lifting. He hugged her back, and listened as she told him all about her Braille classes and all the things she had been learning to do on her own.

After catching up with his cousin, Neji showered and changed before heading to see the Hyuuga Elders.

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Neji walked into usual parlor and took his seat across from the Elders, and slid the retrieved item across the table to them.

"Did you have any problems?"

"No Elders. It went smoothly."

One of the Elders, smirked. "How is our dear Hinata fairing?"

Neji clenched his hands into fists under the table, but calmly responded. "She is acclimatizing well, thank you for your concern." He gritted his teeth.

"I am so glad to hear it."

"Did you want anything else?" He couldn't keep the impatience out of his voice.

They all looked offended, and quickly whispered to each other in scandalized tones. One of the larger men stood and came around to Neji's side of the table. The younger male was too proud to let the man see him flinch, even when his hair was grabbed in in a rough hand and his head was yanked back. He was backhanded hard across the right side of his face, the hand in his hair was used to pull him closer to the man's face.

"Listen here. You don't EVER talk to any of us that way. Am I clear?"

Neji nodded his head, and another heavy slap plowed across his face. He could feel blood pouring from his mouth and nose, but simply kept staring up into the eyes of his elder sedately. His senior seemed peeved by his lack of fear, and struck him again three times, each harder than the last. Finally it seemed the man had run out of patience, he stood and signaled the servants to escort Neji off the premises.

Once in his car, Neji found some tissues and pressed them to his bleeding face. He knew he couldn't go home looking like this since Sakura would freak out, and in turn panic Hinata. So he headed to the only other place he could think of besides the hospital.

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Neji was weaving his way up to his partner's apartment, slightly dizzy from the headrush and loss of blood. He could feel his eye and lip both had swollen, and knew that the right side of his face was probably nothing but one huge bruise.

He knocked and waited, leaning his pounding head onto the doorframe and letting his eyes close. He was surprised to hear a sharp female gasp when the door was answered, and he opened his eyes to see a shocked-looking Ino standing there.

"Shikamaru!" She screamed. The Nara came running around the hallway corner, expecting to see Sasuke standing there, but instead found his lover covered in blood and looking like someone had taken a battering ram to the side of his face.

He rushed forward, and took the long-haired man into his arms, leading him to the couch, and directing Ino to retrieve his first aid kit. Ino rushed back out and handed the white box to her best friend. She took a seat on Neji's other side and took Neji's hand into both her own.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok? Who did this to you, baby?" Ino cooed in her southern drawl.

Neji gave her a half smile with the undamaged part of his mouth. "I'm fine. I have had much worse than this. I just didn't want to go home and have Sakura and Hinata have a fit."

"Did the Elders do this to you?" Shika was wiping blood off of Neji's face and neck gently with a moist towlette.

Neji nodded. "I shouldn't have lost my temper with them, they were talking about Hinata and I couldn't help myself."

"I am so sorry." Shikamaru was berating himself inside, he was Neji's partner, he was supposed to protect him. But there was nothing he could do about the Hyuuga Elders.

Neji could read Shikamaru's inner thoughts all over his face. He used the hand that wasn't gripped in Ino's to cup the side of the Nara's face, and bring his eyes around to meet Neji's colorless ones. "It is not your fault. I am fine, you are fine and everything will be ok."

Shikamaru took a deep breath and pressed a cold compress to the side of Neji's swollen face. Neji held it there while his partner divested him of his shirt, and wiped the remaining blood from his torso. Ino directed him to lay on the couch, pulling his head into her lap, and pulling a brush out from somewhere before gently pulling it through the fall of Neji's dark hair.

The Hyuuga found this calming and simply lay there letting the blonde woman play with his hair. Every so often she would run the back of her knuckles down the undamaged side of his face and whisper comforting words to him. He imagined that this was what it would be like to have a mother. Nobody had ever taken care of him like this. Hinata had tried, and that was why he loved her, but the Elders were strict, if she had ever been caught her punishment would have been severe.

When he was a child, he had never had anyone to tend to him when he was sick or injured. Hyuugas were taught that relying on others was nothing but weakness. And sometimes, late at night when he was hurting or unwell, he would imagine that his mother was there, doing the same things as Ino. Something no one had ever felt the need to do for him, and this woman that he hardly knew was doing it all so naturally. Her gentle kindness made Neji realize that this woman would forever be someone important to him.

He felt the tears well up in his eyes, and tried to hold them back. But the hot streams broke through, and he tuned his head pressing his face into her soft stomach. Neji was mortified to be crying in front of his lover and Ino, but he couldn't stop the molten tears from escaping. Ino simply ran her fingernails across his scalp, soothing him and letting the man know that she was there.

Shikamaru looked on the scene with sadness, he knew what had upset the man. He knew that Neji didn't have any parents. From what little he had pieced together, he had come to the conclusion that Neji's young life had been pretty much devoid of any kind of affection. What he was witnessing now was simply proof positive of his theory. The Nara's heart was hurting in his chest, it must have been much worse than even he had imagined if this small act of kindness reached him so profoundly.

Finally the Hyuuga fell asleep, and Ino let him slumber. He had his arms wrapped around her, hugging her to him like a child would a teddy bear. She looked to Shikamaru with sad eyes. "He really must have had a rough childhood." She whispered softly, she had come to the same conclusion as her friend, and all she wanted to do was protect the man in her lap from anything that would hurt him.

A silent agreement was made between the two that they would not say anything more about this when Neji awoke. For him to show them that weak side of himself must have been terrifying to the Hyuuga, and they would let him keep his dignity.

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Sasuke Uchiha sat in a car outside the house of one Shikamaru Nara, the man who killed his brother. Sure, Sasuke had hated him but he still felt the unexplainable need to avenge him. He didn't know when he had talked to him that he was planning to shoot his brother in the head. Sasuke felt guilt well up inside him, he had caused his brother's death.

At first when he had quit working for the CIA, Sasuke had planned to kill his brother himself. But in time, after studying his brother he came to the conclusion that Itachi wasn't exactly all there. Eventually he realized that the Uchihas had made him that way. Sasuke remembered their treatment only slightly. He had been so young when everything had gone down.

Itachi had been much older than him, he had suffered eighteen years of abuse at the hands of their clan. He couldn't blame his brother for the things he had done, not after everything he had learned over the years.

He knew that his brother had harbored some kind of obsession with Neji Hyuuga, but he was still fuzzy on what their relationship had been. It seemed Itachi and Neji had been pretty good about keeping things under wraps.

That didn't matter to him though. What did matter, was that Shikamaru Nara was going to die.

DUN! DUN! DUN! I don't know why the Uchiha's have such a grudge against my boys... I think it's just because I love them as bad boys.

Anyways PLEASE REVIEW! Reviewers get a SNEAK PEEK at the next chapter. (you have to have an account or you can send me your email address.)


	12. Chapter 12

A huge thanks to those who have reviewed. You guys are the best! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!

REMINDER! Those who review will get a SNEAK PEEK at the next chapter!

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Neji had spent the last three days at home with Hinata since he felt like he had been neglecting his cousin recently, but tonight he had a date with Shikamaru and he couldn't wait. The Nara had stopped by a few times after work to see him, but they hadn't had much privacy. But tonight the two were going out together for the first time on a real date, followed by a night at Shika's place. Needless to say, Neji was excited.

It was 30 minutes until Shikamaru was due to arrive and Sakura and Hinata were lounging on his bed as the pinkette ordered him around like a drill sergeant, making him try on every item of clothing in his closet. Finally the demanding woman decided on a tight white button up shirt, she paired it with pinstriped black slacks and a matching vest. Neji had tried to add a tie but she insisted that he not wear one, and undid the top four buttons on his shirt.

Hinata, having not had any say on his clothes was allowed to pick out his cologne. Sakura brushed his hair and pulled half of it up, letting a few hairs escape and fall around his face. Once he was dressed and perfumed and groomed to the nines, the trio sat in the living room to wait. Both females had Cheshire-cat grins stretching their cheeks, and Neji couldn't help but feel like some ridiculous display.

Shika arrived right on time, Neji rushed to the door and found Shikamaru looking good enough to eat. For once his hair was free from it's band and framing his face, the tips just brushing his shoulders. He too was wearing a button up and slacks, but his were navy bottoms paired with a light blue shirt. Behind them Sakura's voice rang out, "I know you both look hot, but you had better get going before you miss your reservation!"

The two snapped out of their eye-fucking trance and blushed. Shika scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, and reached his hand out to Neji. He accepted the offer and the two made their way out to the parking lot. Neji insisted they take his Navigator, which he had retrieved from one of his storage units.

Neji drove with one hand on the wheel, his other was taking indecent liberties with the crotch of his passenger. Shikamaru was worried at first, but the Hyuuga's driving never faltered even though he was sporting a matching tent in his trousers. By the time the two of them pulled into the parking lot and found a spot, Shikamaru was panting and writhing in his seat.

Neji killed the ignition and practically dragged Shikamaru into the backseat and straddled him. Suddenly Neji's choice in car was making a lot more sense.

All thoughts of vehicle choices flew out of his mind however as Neji snatched his lips in a searing kiss. Shikamaru thrust his tongue into the others fevered mouth, meeting no resistance. They devoured each other they began shedding layers as fast as their hands could work the buttons.

When both were shirtless, Neji slid backwards to kneel on the floor. He unfastened Shikamaru's belt and pants before sliding the slacks and his underwear halfway down his thighs. The long haired man slid his pale hands back up to Shikamaru's hips. He leaned forward and licked the pearly pre-cum from the head of his partner's shaft and blowing a steady stream of cool air across the heated tip.

Shikamaru had his head thrown back against the headrest. "Look at me Shikamaru." Neji called in a playful tone.

The Nara met his eyes, "Hn?" Was all he could articulate.

Neji smiled an evil smile and licked him all the way from his base to his slit where that hot pink appendage dipped and swirled. "Do you want me to suck your cock?" He teased.

"The fuck you think Nej?" Shikamaru gasped with a flushed face.

"That's not good enough." Neji paused to pull one of Shikamaru's sensitive balls into his mouth. He sucked gently and rolled his wet tongue over it before releasing it. "I want you to fuck my mouth."

"Ahhhh! Neji!" Neji's words were driving him crazy.

"Do you want to fuck my mouth, Shikamaru?"

"Ugh! Yes... God YES!"

"Say it."

"What?" Shikamaru's brain was all but a puddle of mush. His hands found their way into Neji's hair and he gripped hard.

Neji let out an involuntary groan at Shika's rough treatment of his locks. "Say it. Tell me what you want to do to my mouth." Shikamaru was horny as hell and out of patience, deciding to turn the tables, knowing Neji wanted to be dominated.

The Nara's strong hand's jerked Neji's head back savagely, and he leaned forward bringing their faces close enough for the tips of their noses to brush. His voice was thick with need and rough with desire. "I want to fuck your mouth." Neji let out a whimper at his lover's words. "I want to slide my cock into your mouth and down your throat until I cum. You are going to swallow everything I give you, then I am going to take my cock and fuck you, and fill you up until you can't take any more of me inside you. Do you want that?"

Neji only had a chance to nod before Shika sat back and pulled him forward with his punishing grip. Neji parted his lips and allowed Shikamaru to guide his head down, he gagged momentarily but relaxed and took the stone hard erection all the way until his nose was right up against the Nara's abdomen.

Shikamaru held him there with a long groan until Neji began to struggle for air. He ripped him back, and he disconnected with a wet 'pop' sound. Neji pulled in a deep shuddering breath before Shikamaru forced his head back down, this time guiding Neji's expert mouth up and down his shaft. The Hyuuga was breathing hard through his nose, and his cock felt like the tip was about to blow off.

The long haired man reached a hand down to free himself and began to jerk off to the same rough increasing speed of his bobbing head. Moans and grunts were falling from the Nara's mouth freely as he closed in on his release. "Mmmm... Fuck. 'Bout to cum Nej."

Neji moaned around his mouthful, the timbre of Shika's voice shot straight to his groin. He squeezed his cock and groaned, releasing himself onto his hand, the vibrations were just enough to send his partner over the edge. Shikamaru's cum filled Neji's waiting cavity. The white-eyed man swallowed the salty substance and sat back, tongue darting out to catch a bit that escaped to his bottom lip.

Even though he had just had an intense orgasm, Shika's erection hadn't wavered. He pulled the Hyuuga up onto the seat and lay him down where he proceeded to make good on his sinful promises.

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Neji and Shikamaru were late for their reservation, but the pair didn't care. Neji was currently walking backward, pulling Shikamaru along to the front doors of the restaurant. The white-eyed man looked like he had been thouroughly loved. His lips were red and swollen from Shika's rough kisses, and his hair was tangled and mussed, but the Hyuuga didn't care about his disheveled appearance. The Hyuuga was absolutely glowing with a brilliant smile stretching his cheeks.

Shikamaru looked on his lover with appreciative eyes. His ego was swelling from the knowledge that it was him that had made Neji this way. Some part of himself felt like roaring and pounding on his chest as primal satisfaction pounded through him. Nothing made you feel like a man quite as much as your lover walking with a limp.

As Neji turned to walk next Shikamaru, he spotted something with his exceptional vision atop a building across the street, the moonlight glinted off something metal in the far distance. He realized what it was and yanked Shikamaru to the left by their clasped hands, but he was too late. A shot rang out through the night, "No!" Neji screamed.

Both of them looked down at the Nara's chest simultaneously. A red stain was spreading from a spot slightly to the right of the center of his chest. Shika let out a gasp, then a cough. Dark blood poured from his mouth, his hand reached to the wound in confusion. "What...? Was I... shot?"

Neji caught his lover as he fell, and lowered him to the ground. His eyes flew to the spot he had seen the rifle barrel for a sign of the shooter, but he saw nothing. They must have run, but Neji had no time to worry about hunting them down. His partner and lover was bleeding heavily, the bullet must have missed his heart, but he was definitely hit in the lung.

Neji picked him up as gently as he could and rushed the man to his SUV. The Hyuuga knew that he didn't have time to wait for an ambulance, Shikamaru could easily be drowning in his own blood within a matter of minutes. He had never been more grateful of his tactical driving training than in those short minutes as he flew down streets, blaring through red lights and easily tripling the speed limit.

By the time that he screeched to a halt outside the hospital doors and grabbed his partner from the backseat the man was pale, and his breathing was making a disturbing gurgling noise. Neji sprinted into the hospital, as soon as he breached the door he began yelling. He didn't even know what was coming from his mouth, but quickly nurses and doctors began to file into the hallway.

Neji reluctantly placed Shika on a rolling bed as directed, they were asking him questions, but he couldn't rip his attention away from the still body on the gurney. He ran alongside the doctors until they rushed through a pair of double doors. He tried to continue following, but a nurse was holding him back. He could easily have overpowered her, but he couldn't do anything to divert the doctor's attention away from Shika.

"I know you probably need to make some calls. Let me take you to the waiting room." The nurse guided him to the white room full of ugly pink chairs. She gave him Shikamaru's cell phone and wallet. "Someone will come to give you an update as soon as we know anything. If he has family you should call them. You also should clean yourself up, the bathroom is through the door over there." She turned and left.

She left and Neji looked down at the phone in his hands, only to realize that he was covered in blood. Dark red stains covered his arms and the front of his shirt, he could even see some of his hair matted into vermillion ropes. There was so much blood. Blood that wasn't his own. He felt sick, he ran to the bathroom and fell to his knees heaving what little was in his stomach into the porcelain bowl.

Neji stayed like that, dry heaving into the toilet until the spasms in his stomach stopped. He stood and walked to the sink, rinsing his mouth and washing his hands and turning the water pink as it went down. He ripped a few paper towels out and wet them before harshly scrubbing what he could off of his face and neck.

He hadn't all the blood off by a long shot, but he left anyway, he had phone calls to make. First he called Ino, the woman was screaming and crying as soon as the words left his mouth, and was in her car before he had even hung up. Next was a much more difficult call, he had to call Shikamaru's supervisor Asuma. The gruff man also seemed worried, he promised to be there as soon as possible before getting off. Lastly, he called Sakura to let her know what was happening. He had tried to tell her to stay home, but the stubborn pinkette and his cousin both insisted on going to sit with him.

Ino was the first to arrive, she ran into the waiting room and flung herself into Neji's arms. She was gripping him so tightly it was painful, but he didn't stop her or try to loosen her grip. He simply held her and let her cry into his shoulder. Neji's face pressed into her hair and he couldn't stop the tears that cascaded down his cheeks. She asked him what had happened, and he told her everything, how he had seen the nose of the rifle on the building across the street, how he had tried to pull Shikamaru out of the line of fire, but had been too late. His chest felt like someone had pried it open and ripped his heart right out of his ribcage.

Somehow Sakura and Hinata beat the CIA, and were the second to arrive. Suddenly he was being hugged from the front and both sides by these women. Finally they all sat down, Ino and Sakura were each latched to one of his biceps, and Hinata was curled up on his lap, tears falling from her sightless eyes. Hinata had become quite fond of Shikamaru over the past months, but what really pained her was the idea that Neji could lose another person close to him.

Finally Asuma made his way through the door, and it made sense why it took him the longest. Behind him were a gaggle of other men in suits. He recognized Naruto and Shino out of the group, but the rest were unknown to him. The crowd surrounded them, and Hinata buried herself deeper into his body, as she could feel their domineering presence. Asuma gave him a deadly look.

"What did you do Hyuuga?" He snapped.

Neji wasn't surprised by the question, he was the criminal here after all. What did shock him though was the reactions of the three women around him. They all shot to their feet, even Hinata and glared at him like he wasn't twice their size. They stood in front of him like a trio of mama bears protecting a cub. Neji was touched. Ino was the first to speak. "Watch your fucking mouth! Neji would never hurt Shika!" Her hands were balled into shaking fists like she was itching to punch him. The other two added in their two cents with angry affirmations of 'Yeah!' and 'That's right!' Neji felt a rush of warmth for the three, he stood and stepped forward. Neji wrapped a protective arm around Hinata who was quivering, he didn't know if it was from anger or fear, but he assumed a mixture of both.

"Fine. Tell me what happened, and who YOU think it was." Neji explained in detail everything that had happened after they had exited the car, and adding in a tiny lie about how they were supposed to be meeting an informant to keep Shikamaru out of trouble. Their relationship wasn't exactly agency approved. And suddenly it struck him, he knew who had shot his partner.

"Sasuke..." He growled.

"What?" Asuma seemed confused.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He saw Naruto pale. "That son of a bitch. I am gonna kill him." Neji made to leave, but was held back by Asuma's wide tanned hand.

"Hold your horses there Hyuuga, where do you think you're going? Why would you think it was Uchiha?"

He realized he couldn't tell them the truth about Shikaku and Yoshino without getting the Nara in huge trouble, maybe even costing him his job. So he lied. "I could feel that we were being followed the last few days, the other day I saw him."

"I am gonna be frank with you, the testimony of a known criminal isn't going to do anything in court. You need some kind of proof."

Yeah right, as if Neji was going to let Sasuke live long enough to make it to court. "I don't think you understand." Neji ground out. "I don't want to arrest him. I am going to murder him, I am quite good at it as you are well aware."

"You realize you just said that in a room full of government agents, I can't let you go if I think you could be a danger to yourself or others."

Neji was getting pissed, "Sasuke was trained by the Uchihas and the CIA, do you really think that you will be able to find any kind of evidence. He is too fucking good for that."

A voice rang out from near the door. "That means a lot coming from someone like you, Hyuuga." Sasuke was leaning up against the door frame of the waiting room. "So, what is it that I am supposed to have done?"

Neji was in front of Sasuke so fast it seemed to the others that he had simply teleported across the room. He grabbed the Uchiha and slammed him up against the wall, "You know what you did, and now I am going to kill you." Neji pushed his forearm up against Sasuke's throat until his airway was blocked. Sasuke had been trying to push him away, but the Hyuuga was riding an adrenaline rush. Sasuke was obviously a good fighter, but he lacked the raw power and natural ability that Neji and Itachi had been blessed with.

The agents moved in when they realized that Neji was actually serious, and was going to choke him to death. Neji was being pulled back by at least 4 pairs of hands, but he was strong and resolute. Sasuke was starting to turn blue when all of the men grabbed onto him and ripped him back.

The raven fell to the ground gasping for air, clutching his throat as color slowly returned to his face. Six men were pinning Neji down. Asuma got right in his face. "What the hell!?"

"Get. Off. Of. Me." Neji growled.

"Not until you cool your jets. Shikamaru doesn't need this right now. What he needs is for you to calm down and approach this logically. How to you think he is gonna feel when he wakes up and finds his partner in jail for killing an ex-CIA agent?"

Neji relaxed his muscles, the man was right. They were in a hospital, and Neji had plenty of time to hunt the bastard down after he was sure Shikamaru was alright. "Ok, Ok. I'm fine, you can get off me now."

Asuma nodded and they let him up. Neji stood, he didn't make another move toward Sasuke, but he didn't take his colorless eyes off of him either. His three female companions rushed over to him and fluttered around, making sure he wasn't hurt. Sasuke was on his feet again, and there was already a bruise forming on his throat much to Neji's satisfaction.

The Sarutobi took charge and faced Sasuke, "Did you have any involvement in the shooting of Agent Shikamaru Nara that occurred this evening?"

"No." Sasuke's voice came out as a croak, and he cleared his throat. "No, I didn't."

"Is it true that you have been tailing him?"

"No."

"What are you doing in the hospital this evening?"

"Visiting a friend."

"What friend?"

"My uncle Madara, he's in a coma. Has been for almost 12 years now."

They went back and forth for a while until Sasuke got up to leave. As he was going Neji rose and followed him. Everyone tensed as if ready to jump on him again.

"I'm not going to attack him again. I just have a few questions of my own. Shall we?"

Sasuke smirked and they walked into the hallway, however the Uchiha wasn't stupid and he made sure they stood within sight of the agents. "I'm guessing you know that it was me."

Neji clenched his fists and grit his teeth, it took everything in him not to snap his neck. "Yeah. Why him?"

"I thought it was obvious. He killed my brother. If that's all..." Sasuke turned and started walking down the hallway. When Neji spoke his next words, Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

"Shikamaru didn't kill Itachi. I did. I shot the bastard right between the eyes... and I liked it."

Sasuke didn't say anything more, he just resumed walking down the hallway at his previous leisurely pace.

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Sorry for the cliffy! I know... you all hate me now right? Please review!

REMINDER! Those who review will get a SNEAK PEEK at the next chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you to all my readers! You are so awesome and patient! Please review! Any reviewers with an account will get a sneak peek at the next chapter!

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Neji Hyuuga had suffered a lot of loss in his 25 years on Earth. Grief and disappointment had hardened him into a strong and able warrior. Although he had lost so many people he cared about, none had ever hurt more than the idea of losing Shikamaru. Especially when he felt so responsible. Sasuke had tried to kill his partner for something Neji had done, and there was no way he was ever going to forgive himself.

The group of Shikamaru's coworkers took seats around Neji and his trio of ladies after all the ruckus with Neji and Sasuke died down. They all seemed to fear him like he was some kind of psycho killer; this conclusion was undermined however by the fact that he had three beautiful women clinging onto him and cooing at him. Hinata was still curled up in his lap, Ino and Sakura once again took up sentry duty on either side of him. All three had their arms wrapped around him, and as their stretch of waiting grew longer they all fell asleep on him one by one.

Neji was exhausted, but there was no way he was going to get a wink of sleep until he knew for sure that his partner was okay. Naruto was the only one to approach him, as the others seemed wary of his presence. The blonde sat in the chair opposite Neji and gave him a sad look.

"Are you alright man?"

"No." Neji answered honestly.

"I'm sorry about Sasuke. He really didn't used to be a bad guy... I don't know what happened to him."

"Well, forgive me if I don't exactly believe that", Neji snarled.

"I really thought you were going to kill him", Naruto said with a small smile.

"I was", The Hyuuga deadpanned.

Naruto's face fell, and Neji couldn't help the tiny wriggle of guilt that wormed in his gut. He didn't want to make the man sad; his was a face that was always meant to smile. He had thought so since the first time he had met the sunny man. However, he would never apologize for his actions toward Sasuke. Someday soon he knew that the raven would come for him, and Neji would be ready.

The white-eyed man wasn't exactly feeling social at the moment. He was just considering hunting down a nurse and demanding an update when a doctor in green scrubs walked in. "Family of Shikamaru Nara?"

Neji made it to the man first, giving him an extremely intense stare. Everyone else surrounded the man, and he finally cleared his throat and spoke softly. "Mr. Nara is out of surgery; he sustained extensive damage to his right lung, therefore we had to place a shunt to drain the excess blood. He requires a breathing tube until the bleeding in his lung stops. For now he is being kept in a chemically induced coma until he has recovered to a point that he will be able to breathe independently."

"How long?" Interjected Asuma.

"We aren't sure; there are many tests that still need to be run. An X-ray and CAT scan of his chest, possibly even an MRI. We will have a better estimate after the tests are run. As of now he is limited to two visitors in his room at a time, so you will all have to take turns. He is in Room 321. However, his insurance may not cover some of his treatment. That is something you will want to speak will billing ab-"

Neji interrupted with a growl. "I will pay for it. I don't care about the cost, just tell me... is he going to be okay?"

"Yes sir. He is going to be fine; he just needs time to heal."

At this news, Neji's legs turned to jello, but a hard grip on his arm steadied him. He turned to see Naruto with one tanned hand wrapped around his bicep. "I still think you need to speak with billing; these tests can be very expensive, not to mention that they will only cover the first two weeks of his stay. We are talking thousands of dollars or more."

"Money isn't an object. Move him upstairs to the private first class rooms on the eighth floor; I want your best doctors on this. Also, I will be staying here until he is well, have the staff put in an extra bed for me."

The man looked less than happy, but turned to go and do what he was asked. Neji turned back around to see many impressed looks. It appeared that Shikamaru's brothers-in-arms approved of his actions for their comrade. Naruto was giving him a huge smile, and before he knew it he was pulled into a hug by the rambunctious blonde. "Thank you so much Neji. If you need someone to help watch over him, you call me anytime, day or night."

A chorus of agreement came from the others, and they all wrote their contact info on a piece of paper. As they filed out to take their turn seeing the unconscious agent, each man shook his hand, some of them giving praise, others grumbling a simple thank you.

Ino gave him a hug so tight he thought his ribs might snap, "Thank you so much. I can't even tell you how much this means to me."

Everyone took turns going in to see their injured friend while Neji had a conversation with the hospital director. She was suspicious of Neji's requests, and wanted to be sure he would be able to pay when the time came. Neji silenced her by taking out his checkbook and giving her a down payment of ten grand for the Nara's bills. After that, she started treating him like royalty, and Shikamaru was finally moved to an eighth floor suite.

Once everyone had their chance to see him they headed home, but Neji stayed. He was the last to see the Nara, he didn't know how he would react to actually seeing his lover hurt so he wanted to be alone. He stood outside the door of Room 828, trying to mentally prepare himself. After a few minutes, he pushed the door open and made his way toward the bed. Neji felt tears well up in his eyes at the scene before him.

Shikamaru had a breathing tube protruding from his mouth, and his chest rose and fell with the hiss of the respirator. There was a battery of machines hooked up to him reading all his vital signs. There were white bandages wrapped all over his right shoulder, and from underneath was a clear tube that drew the blood from his remaining internal wounds, it was attached to a container on the wall that looked somewhat like a measuring cup. An IV led to several bags of fluid hanging next to him on a silver pole.

Neji's legs gave out under him, and his knees met with the floor painfully. Tears, hot and salty, poured from his eyes. He took one of Shika's hands and held it in both of his, resting his forehead against them. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but he was stirred by a knock at the door. Wiping his face, he answered the door to find Sakura. She handed him a small suitcase, and he realized he was still covered in blood.

"I knew you wouldn't think about yourself for quite a while, and I didn't want you walking around in that. Take a shower, get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day, alright?"

Neji gave her a small smile and a thank you before she left.

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A week had passed and Shikamaru was slowly getting better, but every day that he didn't wake Neji was getting worse. Ino, Sakura and Hinata came by often, mostly to make sure that he was eating and sleeping. He wasn't. The doctors came and went, and the time blurred into a string of days and nights of Neji sitting and waiting. Sometimes he would read out loud, or just talk to his comatose partner. However, time stood still for no one and before he knew it he was called in to see the Elders. Worried for Shikamaru's safety, he asked Naruto to stay with his partner while he went to his meeting.

Neji sat at the usual table and took the appropriate submissive pose, head down, hands in his lap, and eyes on the table. The approval radiating from the Elders was tangible; they were obviously under the impression that his punishment had taught him a lesson. Honestly though, he wanted more than anything for this meeting to be over so he could get back to the hospital, and he knew that the quickest way to do that was to act the part of the loyal servant.

"Neji, how have you been?"

_Terrible__,_ he thought. "Well enough, my Elders."

"So, we have another assignment for you."

"I am honored to serve the family." _Ugh... gag me with a spoon._

"There is a growing threat to our family business. I assume you have heard of the Sannin."

"Yes, of course."

"Their membership has been increasing lately, and they have been moving into our business territory. This is, of course unacceptable."

"What do you need me to do?"

"We need you to make copies of all the files on the computer of a man named Orochimaru; I am sure that you're familiar with him."

"What am I looking for?"

"Information about his business. To most people he is a nightclub owner, but in truth he is the head of a group of assassins known as _S__erpiente Pálido._"

Neji already knew all of this; he had eyes and ears all over the city. You couldn't dabble in their business without some information sneaking into the public sphere of knowledge. Orochimaru kept his criminal acts hidden beneath the veneer of legitimate business. He worked with two partners, and together they had all bases of illegal activity covered.

Orochimaru arranged assassinations and was in charge of weapons trafficking; Jiraiya supervised all manner of activities involving the sex trade, and Tsunade monitored their drug trafficking rings and worked as their resident chemist.

"Is it his home computer or his office computer?"

"He keeps all relevant data on his office computer; you will have to get in and out quickly. His security is top of the line, and you can't get caught. I don't need to tell you that discretion is key here. We don't want them knowing we are on to them. Understand?"

"Yes Sir. I will need a week."

"Very well. Don't disappoint us. Dismissed."

Neji tried to walk calmly to his car, but being away from the hospital, even for a few short hours, was making him panic. He knew he was probably perilously close to a nervous breakdown, but he kept himself together by sheer willpower. Once he was safely ensconced in his car, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to control his breathing.

The panic attack hit him like a ton of bricks. Suddenly he couldn't get enough air; sweat poured from him, making his clothes damp with perspiration. His muscles tensed to the point of cramping, and his hands locked onto the steering wheel with a vice-like grip. It felt like he was having a heart attack, complete with sudden onset migrane and rolling nausea. Neji felt like he was going to die.

He hadn't had a panic attack since he was a teenager, but he still remembered how to stop it. He tried to slow his breathing and picture himself in a calm and comforting place. The only image his mind could concoct with those criteria was being with Shikamaru. The thought of the Nara snapped him back to reality. He ground his teeth and whispered to himself.

"Get a fucking grip Neji. Shikamaru needs you, so stop being such and pussy and get your shit together."

He threw the car into drive and punched the gas, shooting out into the road and heading for the hospital.

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Once Neji was back in Shikamaru's hospital room he made a call to Asuma about his newest mission. The gruff male told him that he would be assigned a temporary handler until Shikamaru was better, and informed that it would be Naruto since they were already familiar with each other.

After Neji gave him all the details about his mission, Asuma explained the parameters of his counter-mission. As much as they both hated it, Neji would have to give the Hyuugas the real thing. Any attempts to fake it would blow his cover instantly, so he was simply told to make a copy for the CIA and deliver it to Naruto.

Neji knew that he should start preparing himself for his newest assignment, but he just slumped back in his chair and looked over at Naruto, who had yet to leave.

"Did they tell you that you're my temporary handler yet?" Naruto nodded, his brows drew down and he glanced at Neji like he wanted to ask something. "What?" Neji prompted.

"Are you okay man? I know it's hard when your partner gets hurt, the CIA has people you can talk to if you are having a hard time."

Neji's pride prickled at that. "I'm fine", he snapped harshly. Neji leaned forward and put his face in his hands, massaging his temples and sighing tiredly. "Sorry. I am just worried about Shikamaru. It's been over a week and he still isn't well enough to be brought out of the coma."

Naruto put a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze before he let his hand fall away. "He is going to be okay. What he needs now is for you to be strong and to believe in him. You are not responsible for this, and he is going to tell you that himself when he wakes up."

"Thanks Naruto." Neji relaxed back into his chair as exhaustion overcame him.

"Why don't you lay down, I will come back tomorrow and we'll work on a plan for Orochimaru."

"Okay."

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After his temporary partner left, Neji made his way over to the rolling bed that had been brought up for him and collapsed onto it as his weariness washed over him. He rolled over onto his side and watched the gentle rise and fall of the Nara's chest under his hospital gown. The rusty springs squealed in protest to his shifting weight, and Neji saw just the slightest twitch from the agent.

He jackknifed into a sitting position, the springs screeching again. Shikamaru seemed to stir once more. Neji leapt off the bed, and over to Shikamaru's bedside, making the rolling bed slam against the wall with a loud BANG!

Shika's eyes fluttered open and looked over to him. His eyes rolled around unfocused and bleary, as if it were a monumental effort just to keep his eyelids up. His hand reached up for the breathing tube in his mouth, and Neji stopped him.

"Shh... No, no. That has to stay in." Neji said gently.

The injured man seemed to gain some clarity at the sound of his voice, and his eyes widened as if he were remembering. His hand stopped trying to get at the tube and moved over to Neji, wrapping around the back of his neck.

The agent's eye's flittered over him, looking for sign of injury. Neji took the panic-stricken face between his hands, and forced his head up to look at him.

"I am okay. I wasn't hurt, but you were shot in the chest. You're in the hospital."

This news seemed to reassure him, and he relaxed back and pressed his hand to his chest in a gesture that clearly meant 'Thank God.'

Shika's right hand was clenched in the fabric of his hospital johnny, and the other came up and cupped the side of Neji's face with a gentle touch.

Now that the shot of adrenaline he had gotten in his panic was fading, Shika was slipping away fast. As the drugs took him back under, his eyes didn't leave his lover's white ones until they could stay open no longer and he fell back into unconsciousness.

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Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW! Any reviewer with an account will get a sneak preview of the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the LOOOOONG wait! I know, I suck. Anyway, I managed to update, so YAY!

Any reviewer gets a SNEAK PEEK of Chapter 15! If you don't have an account send me your email.

Thank you to all my lovely readers, I love you all. You are my inspiration!

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After only being on a stake-out with Naruto for less than a day, Neji discovered that the man was a never ending festival of chit-chat. He was sure he had never heard one person say so many words in such a short amount of time. Neji on the other hand wasn't quite so verbose, preferring to keep most of his thoughts to himself. However he didn't mind listening to Naruto, or commenting here and there on his perpetual monologue.

"Have I told you about my new partner yet?" Naruto asked.

_No, but you seem to have covered everything else in the known universe__,_ Neji thought snarkily. "No, what is he like?"

"Ugh! The guy is a total asshole! He refuses to work with me, barely talks, and when he does it's nothing but insults."

"That sounds pretty bad, why don't you try to get another partner?"

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Because, even if he is a complete tool, the man is _brilliant_. And I was the only one with the patience to take him on as a partner. _Especially_ after what he did to Agent Hagane."

Neji chose to rise to the bait. "What did he do?"

"Oh man! Hagane was trying to get his attention and grabbed his shoulder. My partner broke his arm in three places and almost got fired for it."

"Sounds like a real piece of work."

"He totally is. You will probably meet him at some point, but try to be nice to him. I want this partnership to happen. Even if I am the only one trying, at least I can say I did my absolute best to work with him."

"Yeah. No problem. Ah! The cleaning staff is leaving. You wait here; I am going in."

Neji was relieved to escape the confines of the car, stretching his legs as he jogged toward the side door. He picked the lock quickly and pushed his way into the empty building. The beep of the alarm echoed through the silence. He disabled the simple alarm in less than 30 seconds.

However, the ADT special was just for the club. The real security was in the back where the private offices were located. The sound of Neji's footsteps rippled through the air, coming back at him after ricocheting off the black walls.

Orochimaru's office was at the end of a short hallway dotted with a few doors Neji wasn't interested in. The keypad to the right of Orochimaru's door was much more advanced than the simple alarm used outside.

Neji gently pried the brushed steel cover out from the wall and studied the wires, trying to locate the ones he needed. After a few minutes of analysis, Neji clipped a green wire and a black wire and twisted them together. The low chime that came from the device was a relief.

The Hyuuga typed in 0000, and the lock chimed affirmation before it released the lock on the door with a click.

Orochimaru's office was just what he had expected - everything decorated in shades of purple and gray. Rich fabrics hung from the ceiling, and swanky furniture stood in every corner of the space. The place felt like a high-class whorehouse with all its soft lighting and velvet drapes.

Ignoring the décor, Neji located the desk and took a seat behind the Victorian behemoth. He broke through the passwords and firewalls easily and hooked up the portable hard drive. He started the file dump, and waited in tense silence until it was complete. Neji disconnected the hard drive, and was headed for the door when a realization dawned on him.

_Sasuke works here._

Neji turned back to the desk and started rifling through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. He pulled the small address book out and flipped through until he found the U's. And there it was - Sasuke Uchiha's home address. Neji smirked as thoughts of revenge flooded his mind.

Just as he returned everything to their right and proper places, the door swung open and there stood none other than Orochimaru himself. Tall and broad, he was masculine and refined. Long black hair fell from a widow's peak and framed a square-jawed face with unnerving yellow eyes that were lined heavily with coal. His Spanish heritage was clear from his inky hair and caramel skin.

Orochimaru's deep voice filled the room, his Spanish accent rolling over the words. "Well, well. What do we have here?"

_Oh, shit. Busted. _"Hello."

Orochimaru let out a laugh. "Hello. I don't recall any appointments. What are you doing in my office?"

"I'm guessing you wouldn't believe I was lost, huh?"

"Sadly, no. I don't know what you came for, but you should get it and go."

Neji's brows furrowed. "You aren't going to try and stop me?"

The Spaniard chuckled lowly. "I know the Hyuugas well. They wouldn't have sent anyone but their best. I am sure that you could kill me before I could get my gun out of my coat. Sometimes you simply have to sit back and let the chips fall where they may."

"Wise man."

"However... I must admit, they couldn't have sent a more _hermoso_ thief. Are you a _maricon_?"

"I speak Spanish, but I don't know many slang words. What does that mean, _maricon?"_

"It means... nothing you need to concern yourself with. Did you find what you were looking for?" Orochimaru sat himself on an overstuffed gray chaise, crossing his legs at the knee, and looking completely at ease.

"In fact I did."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Back in the car, Neji and Naruto were headed back to the hospital. "How did it go? Did you get what we needed?"

"Yeah. Hey Naruto, do you speak Spanish?"

"Sure, my godfather was fluent and he taught me. Why?"

"Do you know what the word _maricon _means?"

Naruto swerved into the wrong lane and almost hit an oncoming car, but corrected just in time to avoid a collision. "Someone called you a faggot?"

"Is that what that means? Oh..."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Neji climbed out of Naruto's car after the agent had made a copy of the hard drive onto his laptop. Standing in the parking lot of the hospital, Neji was tempted to go inside and check on his partner. After a few minutes of inner debate, he decided that he had time for a quick pit stop.

Neji found Shikamaru's doctor in his room when he opened the door. The man was just what a doctor ought to be. He was tall and thin, graying at the temples, with square eyeglasses that gave the impression of intelligence. His manner was calm and cool; every time Neji spoke with him, he always had the clear concise demeanor of an experienced physician. He looked like one of those stock photos that appeared in pamphlets in the doctor's office as he stood at the end of Shikamaru's bed with a clipboard in his hand.

"Ah! Hello there Sir, just the man I was looking for."

"Yes? What is it? Is he okay?" Neji asked.

"Yes, yes. No need to worry. I came to deliver good news! Mr. Nara's condition has improved monumentally, and I am confident that he can be taken off the ventilator and brought out of the coma."

Neji's heart leapt in his chest, a huge smile spread across his face. Shikamaru was going to wake up! Neji embraced the doctor, but immediately pulled back, holding him at arm's length, his expression suddenly serious.

"Are you absolutely sure that he's ready? I can afford to keep paying if he needs more time."

"I am sure. At this point in his healing he needs to wake up, start moving and regaining full function of his lungs. His oxygen levels are steady and even, but he won't be back to his full strength for some time. I am trusting you to keep him from over-exerting himself. Okay?"

Neji took the man's hand in both of his, shaking it vigorously. "Thank you. And I will take excellent care of him."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Neji was on cloud nine as he left the hospital. Upstairs Shika was being taken off his oxygen and I.V., and the doctor said he could regain consciousness in as little as a few hours. So, Neji rushed to the Hyuuga compound, wanting to get this over with so he could be there when Shikamaru came around.

He tried to keep his usual bland expression as he sat across the familiar oak table, but he could feel the unconscious tug at the corner of his lips where a smile threatened to break through.

"How did your mission go?" One of the silver-haired women asked in a too sweet voice.

Neji kept his answer noncommittal. "I was able to retrieve the information that you asked for, so it was a success." He did not mention Orochimaru or the fact that he had been caught. He placed the drive onto the table and slid it over to them.

"Nothing else to report?"

Neji could feel the burn of their harsh stares burning into him, and knew that they had somehow found out about his mistake. Before he could reveal the truth himself, the smooth accented voice of Orochimaru filled the silence, coming from a small recorder held in the hand of the woman who had questioned him.

"Hello Hyuugas. I am flattered to think that you think of me as a big enough threat to spy on, but you and your lovely little thief need to stay out of my business. Or you will find out how much of a threat I can truly be.

I am only offering one warning. Let me conduct my business and stay the fuck out of it. Understood?"

The voice cut off and Neji felt his stomach drop somewhere around his balls as he looked at the angry faces of the men and women who controlled his life. A single thought drifted through his head. _'I may not make it back in time to see Shikamaru __wake up.'_

"So Neji, can you tell us why you came in here with a smile on your face after you were caught on a mission? Did you feel like you were getting away with something? You really never change. I thought you learned obedience when we sent you to Paris all those years ago, but you still have the gall to defy us over and over again."

Another chimed in, "You know we don't want to punish you, but you refuse to do as you are told. Maybe we should see if your old teacher Ibiki can pay you a visit? I remember very fondly how compliant you were after coming back from him." Neji's palms started sweating and his heart raced with fear at the reminder of that time in his life.

"If I remember right, he was quite fond of you."

Neji cleared his throat and spoke softly. "I must apologize for my actions. I know you only want what is best for me and the family. It was an honest mistake, every night he leaves before the cleaning crew arrives. I made a mistake, and I was too ashamed to admit it to you." Neji felt sick groveling to the smug bastards, but he would do anything to stay out of the hands of Morino Ibiki. _Anything._

"Well, would you look at that... he's _scared!_" The Elders roared with laughter and Neji felt his face flame. After a few humiliating minutes, their amusement finally faded and they focused their attention back onto his punishment.

The Brand was suggested by one, but shot down when another pointed out that continual use could cause muscle damage and affect his performance in the field. A few other ideas were tossed around, some worse than others, but they finally settled on a good old-fashioned beating. Neji ground his teeth as he sat there and listened to then discuss him as if he were some inanimate object.

Three Branch members-in-training were called to escort him to the punishment room and administer the beating. He was led into a dim concrete room with a pair of shackles hanging from the ceiling. One wall was dominated by a window that showed a viewing room full of comfortable chairs for the Elders to watch the show from.

First his clothes were stripped from him until he was just in his underwear, and then his hands were bound by cold steel cuffs. One of the boys pulled the attached chain through a kind of pulley system and his arms were stretched above him in a quick jerk that nearly pulled his arms out of socket. He was pulled up until his toes barely skimmed the concrete floor, his shoulder joints painfully accepting his weight.

An involuntary moan of pain left him, and he clamped his jaw to keep any further noises from escaping. They could punish him, but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt. The crackle of a speaker filled the room, "You may begin."

The first blow came to the side of his face, and snapped his head around, but Neji just turned back forward and braced himself for more. Punches came at him from every angle, the three young men's fists pounding him like a slab of meat for what felt like hours. Bruises were coming up all over his skin, like dark reddish-purple flowers blooming under his flesh.

His ribs were definitely cracked from someone using them like a punching bag, he could feel his face swelling until he could not see out of one eye and the other was barely able to peek open at all. Pain was exploding from all over his body. The three didn't miss an inch of him, sending low kicks to his defenseless legs and brutal punches to his sore torso and face. His neck ached from snapping back and forth with the force of their strikes.

The room resounded with the slaps of fist-to-skin contact and Neji's heavy breathing, for he refused to let even a single sound pass his lips. He knew that they were nowhere near done when one pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and began slamming away at him. His strikes broke the skin, and it didn't take long until he was slick with his own blood.

After an eternity of pain, Neji finally heard the speaker crackle back to life. "That's enough."

The beating ceased immediately, and the trio stood at attention, waiting for more orders. Neji's head felt fuzzy and he had to work to bring his gaze up. All the Elders looked satisfied, as if they had just seen something exceedingly entertaining, instead of watching someone get beaten half to death. For the first time, Neji looked as the three who had beaten him. He was sad to see that they were just boys, no more than 17 years old. They must have been new recruits, which was why they had been chosen for this.

It was both a punishment for Neji and a lesson for them about what would happen if they put a toe out of line. Their faces seemed drawn; this had not been something that they enjoyed. The smallest one had a look on his face like he wanted to cry. Neji looked into his eyes and shook his head almost imperceptibly. If he lost it over hurting Neji, his punishment would be so much worse than a beating.

He empathized with these boys; they were on the fast track to a life just like Neji's, and it only gave him more resolve in his current task. He would bring down the Hyuugas - not just for himself or Hinata; he would do it for these boys and others like them.

He brought his eyes back around to the window and bowed his head, hating himself for playing the chastised servant, but knowing that it was necessary. "Release him."

Neji was lowered until his feet met the ground again, and he locked his knees, refusing to show an ounce of weakness to them. His legs were shaky and on the verge of collapse, but he remained standing with nothing but pure willpower.

The manacles were removed from his hands, the heavy metal had dug into his skin and blood began to pool and gush as circulation returned to his extremities. As much as he hated to admit to himself, he was close to passing out. His head was spinning and he was quaking from the effort to remain vertical. His breathing was labored and uneven, the strength it was taking to remain upright was flagging.

"Clean yourself up."

The Elders filed out, and as soon as they were gone, Neji felt himself begin to fall; but before he collapsed, three pairs of hands reached out and helped him stay upright. He let the three young men hold him up as his legs finally went slack.

A choked voice broke the silence. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to, reall-"

"It's okay, I know." Neji looked up into the face of the boy whose white eyes were brimming with tears; he let the grim seriousness of his next words bleed into his eyes. "Don't ever let them see you cry. Don't ever apologize. You are a Hyuuga, and that comes with a grave responsibility. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

Neji brought his bloodied hand up and cupped the tear-stained cheek. "I am sorry to tell you that it gets worse before it gets better." He looked at them each in turn and took in their too-old eyes sunken into their young faces.

The boys took him to another room and washed the blood and sweat off of him and patched him up as best they could. He knew it was their way of apologizing for what they had had to do.

Neji pulled on his clothes, and as he was leaving he turned back to them. "Someday soon you will be sent to stay with a man named Morino Ibiki. Do what he says. Don't ever fight him do you understand me? You will only make it worse."

They all looked at Neji with a mixture of fear and apprehension, and then nodded. Neji turned and left them there.

He hated to think of the horrors that those boys had faced - and still had to in their bleak futures.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Back at the hospital a flurry of doctors and nurses were flitting about, making a fuss over Neji's injuries. He did his best to shoo them away, but after a while he had to agree to at least a cursory examination.

"Do what you must, but you can do it here. I am not leaving until he wakes up", he finally snapped at the gathering of doctors and nurses who surrounded him. Satisfied that he would receive treatment, his crowd dissipated and left him alone with Shikamaru's doctor.

"You know, the only reason they are being so insistent is because they like you. They have seen the way you care for him," the doctor nodded at Shikamaru. "And they are moved by it."

"Anyone would do the same for someone they care about", Neji dismissed.

"Perhaps. You look like you have taken one heck of a beating." The doctor pressed his cold stethoscope to Neji's back. "Deep breath... again... one more time. Hmm... You seem to have some fluid in your lungs. Did you breathe in any blood?"

"Probably. There was plenty of it coming out of my mouth."

The doctor seemed surprised at his casual tone. "Something tells me this is not the first time something like this has happened to you." Neji's silence was his answer. "I guess it's not really any of my business."

He went on with the rest of the exam in silence, only speaking to give direction. He shone his penlight into Neji's eyes and palpitated his abdomen; after about 15 minutes he sat back. "You aren't concussed, and your internal organs all feel fine, as far as I can tell. You seem to be the luckiest victim in history; you are bruised and bloodied and you'll be sore as all get-out for a week or two, but it seems your attackers missed every vital spot."

What the doctor dismissed as luck, Neji knew to be purposeful and he felt a rush of gratitude for the three boys.

"You may have some cracked ribs, but I think that's the worst of your injuries", the doctor advised. "It actually looks a lot worse than it is. I recommend wrapping your ribs, and then I will have a nurse bring you some ice packs for your face."

Later, Neji lay on his rollaway bed with his icepacks and let his swelling go down. Eventually he fell into a painful, restless sleep.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	15. Chapter 15

Hey Readers! So sorry for the long hiatus, but I am back! Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for the long delay!

Please don't forget to review!

And if you want the sneak peek of Chapter 16 let me know! READ ON!

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Neji woke with a start to the sound of alarms. He looked over to see a horrified-looking Shikamaru ripping tubes and wires away and climbing out of bed. Neji bolted up, but immediately fell back with a groan of pain as his beaten body protested the sudden movement.

"Ah! Shika! Get back in bed!" Neji ordered. However Shikamaru seemed to have ideas of his own, and he knelt down next to Neji on shaky legs. He took Neji's hand between his own palms gently, as if trying not to cause any more pain. Neji could tell his swelling had gone down because he could see Shikamaru with both of his eyes.

Doctors and nurses barged into the room, pushing crash carts and yelling in rushed voices. When they came upon the scene of the two men, they stopped. None of them seemed to want to dispel the beautiful moment that existed between the two. Love and concern for each other radiated from the pair.

"Neji... what happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter." Shikamaru understood what that really meant, _the Hyuugas_. "What really matters is that you're awake. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I can stand up by myself", Shikamaru admitted.

Several nurses rushed forward with the intent to help, but Neji stopped them with a 'don't-you-even-think-about-it' look. The long-haired man forced his body to move, and with a few painful grunts, managed to get himself upright. He lifted Shikamaru from the ground gently, even though his abused shoulder joints creaked in complaint.

After the agent was safely back in bed, and his monitors once again attached, the staff left the two lovers alone.

"You look like hell." Neji told him, and smirked.

Shika smiled weakly. "This from the man who looks like someone dropped a piano on him."

Neji leaned down and pressed his busted lips to Shikamaru's forehead. "I am so happy that you're alive."

"Me too, but you know... for you."

Shikamaru's embarrassment was endearing, and even though neither of them said it, they both knew what was passing between them.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

(Three Weeks Later)

After hearing the news of his awakening, Ino had been coming to the hospital every day, spending almost as much time there as Neji.

"Are you sure you are getting enough to eat here? Why don't you have some more?" Ino asked after a delicious home-cooked meal she had brought for them, and had made them eat way too much of in the name of _keeping their strength up._

"Ino", Shikamaru groaned, "if I eat any more, I am gonna pop like a balloon."

"Agreed."

Both men were laid back on their beds in a near-catatonic state from all the delicious southern cooking.

"Are they treating you good? Do you need anything?" Ino asked.

"I am FINE!" Shikamaru assured her. "Stop worrying. You know Neji is here, and he is taking great care of me. He's a regular little nursemaid."

Neji flipped him off.

"Oi! Nej, is it okay if I call you Nurse Neji?" Shikamaru continued cheekily.

"Only if you want me to put you back in that coma", Neji told him.

Just as Shika opened his mouth to retort there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Naruto opened the door and walked in. The blond had been depressed ever since he had seen what happened to Neji for getting caught, because he felt that he was to blame. He had apologized to Neji at least 50 times, but the Hyuuga had never thought it was his fault.

"Hey Naruto. What's doin' man?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not much, just trying not to shoot my partner for being a total bastard you know, the usual."

"Oh yeah. I heard you got Sabaku. Condolences. What's he done now?"

"He shot a suspect for absolutely no reason."

"Oh yeah, were at?" Shikamaru asked.

"In France."

"No dumbass. Where did he shoot him on the body?" Shikamaru clarified.

"Oh! Yeah, that's the fucked up part. He shot one of the guy's nuts off."

All three males in the room unconsciously moved their hands to their crotches as if to make sure they were still all there.

"Dude, that's sick. You don't shoot a guy in the balls. I mean, really? So who was it?"

"Guy's name was Morino Ibiki. He's wanted in suspicion of human trafficking and prostitut-"

"WHAT?!" Neji sputtered, jackknifing up off his bed in shock.

"Huh? Do you know him?" Naruto asked.

"Uh..." Neji wasn't sure what to say. "Yeah. I mean... kind of." He looked away, shame and sadness rolled off him in waves.

Naruto didn't sense his distress, and he continued. "How do you know him? He doesn't seem like someone the Hyuuga's would do business with. I mean he owns a brothel. What, did you work for him as a summer job?"

Naruto's sarcasm was evident, but his words hovered dangerously close to the truth, and Neji couldn't bring himself to contradict them.

When Neji didn't laugh, and refused to meet their eyes, a horrible truth dawned on all of them, and their eyes drilled into Neji, who squeezed his shut, like he was trying to block out the whole situation.

Shikamaru's chest ached so bad he had to look down to make sure he wasn't shot again. "No..." he whispered.

The sound of heartbreak in his voice was the final straw for Neji. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart in a fist. When he felt the prick of tears in the back of his eyes, he knew he had to get away.

So he did the only thing he could think of - he ran. He could hear the three yelling after him. He felt the blood drumming in his ears and face, burning with humiliation. A strong grip on his arm stopped him, and Neji turned to see Shikamaru in his hospital johnnie, panting as if he had run for hours.

Between the hard gasps for air, he managed to force out, "Please don't run from me. I don't care about your past, I just care about you. I'm not judging you; I just can't stand the idea of someone hurting you that way."

Every time this man opened his mouth he became more beautiful and amazing. Neji pulled the agent into his arms and held him in an embrace that was both strong and gentle.

Thankfully the other two guests were gone when the two men returned to their room. Shikamaru lie back on his bed and fell into a coughing fit. Deep rattling coughs choked out of his throat. He had obviously pushed himself too hard by chasing Neji. When he saw the stain of blood on the man's lips, Neji called the doctor.

After a brief exam, the doctor put Shikamaru on a breathing treatment. He put an oxygen mask with a small cup of liquid hooked to it over the agent's mouth and ran a clear tube to the oxygen faucet on the wall next to his bed. The treatment made a gurgling sound, and filled the room with the smell of menthol.

The pure oxygen seemed to help, and the medicine eased his breaths. The doctor looked seriously between them. "Don't get out of breath like that again. You are making great progress, but you are only going to undo the healing you have achieved thus far by overdoing it too early."

The pair agreed, and the doctor took his leave.

"I'm sorry", Neji whispered to Shikamaru.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Will you tell me about it?" the agent asked over the hissing babble of his medicine.

Neji really didn't want to; he had tried to forget that time in his life for years. But if he had to put his trust in any hands, he was glad they were Shikamaru's. There was a long beat of silence where Neji pondered his choice.

"Yeah." His voice was almost a croak, as if he'd had to physically force the word out. He had no idea where to start.

"Do you remember the first time we met, and you asked me all those questions about the Hyuugas, and I told you about all our training?" He nodded. "Well, I wasn't kidding when I told you about the sexual training."

"They sent you to Ibiki?" Shikamaru sounded furious.

"The Hyuuga's believe in a very hands-on approach to learning. Ibiki had some kind of history with the Hyuugas long before I came along, but I have never been able to weasel the details out of anyone. I assume he owed them some kind of debt. The Elders would never trust their precious trainees with anyone they weren't absolutely sure they owned completely.

They made a deal with Ibiki to train the members of the branch in exchange for a god-awful sum of money. They chose him because he runs a really smooth operation, he knows how to cover his ass and he keeps his 'employees' safe. All clients get an STD test before being allowed to receive his business's services.

So after everything went down with Itachi, and I was healed up, they sent me to Paris. I was actually excited to get away from my family. Needless to say I was sorely mistaken about what life would be like there. Morino Ibiki is a businessman and for the right price he would let his clients do pretty much anything they wanted to us.

I would have killed myself if it hadn't been for Shukaku. Well, him and the drugs...

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

(Seven Years Earlier)

"You have reached a crucial point in your training. It's time for you to have a bit of... let's call it 'independent study'. You will be moving to Paris, and you will remain there for as long as it takes for you to learn."

"Learn what?"

"Skills of a very valuable nature."

Neji wrinkled his nose as he walked into his new home; it smelled like incense, with an undertone of stale sweat and cheap cologne. Nevertheless, the place was immaculate, lushly decorated with a dark Victorian theme, like a mansion out of some vampire romance novel. The walls were covered in deep red wallpaper; heavy velvet drapes hung from the windows and ceilings. A black chandelier hung in the middle of the room, high above him. Two large staircases led down from the second floor, on either side of the large entryway.

Plush couches were placed around the periphery, all partly hidden by the web of curtains that made the whole place seem like a giant canopy bed. As he made his way into the middle of the room, a gaggle of skinny boys lined up in the space between the two staircases. They all wore the same loose-fitting black pants and no shirt, their eyes downcast and their demeanor was submissive, downtrodden.

One boy in particular seemed to stand out from the others; he was the only one not looking at his feet. His gaze was straight forward, his eyes cold and determined. His shock of red hair atop his pale body was a beautiful contrast, making him look exotic and wild.

A tall bald man with two diagonal scars on his face entered the parlor, shrinking the space into a shoebox with his mass. "Is this the new boy?" he spoke in French, but his accent was Russian and his voice low and gruff. Neji shrank from him, his instincts screaming for him to run.

_This man is dangerous._

The man moved his dark eyes to those within the lineup who had dared to sneak a peek at Neji, but as soon as he turned to them, their gazes slammed back to the ground. All except the red-haired boy, who seemed to be the only one brave enough to risk this giant's wrath.

Far from making him angry, the defiance seemed to please him. "In the mood to test me again, boy?" the large Russian asked.

"Fuck you." The redhead's voice was monotone, but it still hit the ears like silk, smooth and rich.

The bald man mad a noise much like a dog's growl and grabbed the redhead by the hair, forcing his face upward. "Take the new one to my room, I'll bring this one", the Russian growled to the man who had escorted Neji into the house. He turned his face back to the defiant redhead. "Maybe we can give him a show, eh?"

Neji was numb as the man muscled him down a long hallway and practically threw him into a room before slamming the door behind him. He couldn't believe what kind of place his family had sent him to. The long-haired boy didn't bother to pick himself up off of the floor, he simply lay there and let misery wash over him. He and Itachi had had sex, but the idea of performing that intimate act with anyone else, particularly strangers, was unthinkable.

The same door he had come in slammed open, and the red-haired boy was tossed inside. He landed right on top of Neji with an "oof!"

Chuckling resounded from the doorway. "Well look at that, what a perfect couple you make. Maybe _I_ would like to be the one given a show."

Neji's hands became clammy, his whole body convulsing in terror. "P-p-please... no." His voice was barely a whisper.

The other boy looked at him with sad eyes, leaned in to his ear and whispered, "I am so sorry. I will make it feel good. That's all I can promise. Please forgive me..."

Neji could hear the ache in his voice, the heart-wrenching pain of doing to another the same things that had been done to him. Neji closed his eyes and nodded his head solemnly. The boy pulled a small baggie out of his pocket; he licked and dipped a slender finger into it, gathering white powder on his fingertip.

"Open your mouth."

Neji hesitantly did as instructed. The powdery finger pushed under his upper lip and applied it to his gums. It tasted strongly of medicine, and the euphoria that came afterward was a welcome escape. He watched as the boy poured a small amount of the powder on the back of his hand before sucking it up his nose.

His face transformed into a look of ecstasy, he closed his eyes and smiled. Neji couldn't look away; the redhead was so beautiful when he was smiling, like a pale angel, basking in the glow of his cocaine haze.

"Alright", came the demanding voice from the doorway. "You got your fix, now hurry up; I wanna see what the new one is made of."

The two boys stood up and turned to each other, trying to ignore the man leaning against the door. "What's your name?" Neji asked.

"Shukaku, but you can call me Shu."

"I'm N-"

"NO!" Shukaku glanced nervously toward the Russian. "Don't ever tell anyone your real name. They will give you one, okay?"

"Okay..."

Without further ado, Shukaku cupped both sides of Neji's jaw and brought their lips together. Maybe it was the drugs, or maybe the stress of his situation, but Neji opened himself and poured all his built-up anger and pain into the exchange, turning it into something hot and feral.

Shukaku seemed to feed off his energy, and soon they were wrapped in each other's arms, bodies pressed together tightly. Their hands pulled at each other anywhere they could find a grip. Clothes were torn away and discarded somewhere in the darkness.

Neji's heart was pounding from the drugs, his whole body humming with energy. His gums were numb where the cocaine had absorbed into them. His head felt strangely floaty, as if it weren't really attached to the rest of his body.

Shu licked his way down the Hyuuga's body, lowering himself to the floor until he was faced with Neji's full arousal. The drugs pounded through his blood, amplifying sensation. The feel of his own long hair caressing him, the gentle puffs of Shukaku's breath on his swollen member. Hot need rushed through him, taking his modesty and shattering it.

When the red-haired boy finally leaned forward and took the head of his penis into his mouth, Neji nearly lost it. However Shukaku pulled him out of his spiral with a firm pinch to the thigh. Neji looked down and one of those aquamarine eyes winked at him.

The blowjob went on for what felt like forever. Shu seemed to know just how to keep him balanced on the edge of release. Finally the Russian spoke, his voice lower and husky, obviously aroused by the show he was getting. "That's enough Shu. Fuck him now."

He tossed a small bottle that Shu caught without looking. The redhead pulled back and poured the thick, clear liquid onto his fingers. He leaned forward and continued to fellate Neji while his hand snaked between the long haired boy's legs, and his lubed fingers began to stretch him. He was gentle but thorough; his fingers sliding in and out and creating a wet friction that was bringing the Hyuuga back to the edge of release.

Sudden memories of doing this same act with Itachi swam to the forefront of his mind, making Neji begin to panic. Shukaku seemed to sense his change in mood, because he pulled away and began to press soft kisses on his abdomen. "Shh... it's okay. I've got you, I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. Just relax for me. Here take this."

With his clean hand Shu grabbed the bag of cocaine and handed it to Neji. He took it with shaking hands and did the same lick and dip procedure Shukaku had done for him. Almost instantaneously, he could feel the drugs working, numbing him to everything but the here and now.

After Neji was ready, Shukaku led him over to a wide bed draped in black silk. Neji laid back, and the pale boy covered him with his body, positioning himself between the Hyuuga's open legs. The Russian moved himself to a chaise adjacent to the bed to get a better view.

Shu slicked himself with the remnants on his hand and pressed his long, pale shaft to Neji's entrance. He penetrated slowly; they both let out a groan of pleasure at the joining of their bodies. The pace was slow and even as they got a feel for one another. The Russian worked himself out of his pants and began stroking the fat length in time to the boys rocking thrusts. Low moans and grunts issued from him as he watched the two beautiful young men on the bed.

As the pace increased, Neji tossed his head back, his long-fingered hands clutching at Shu's arms, leaving angry red claw marks on his porcelain skin. Soon they were moving at a frantic, animalistic speed. The sound of three sets of cries and the wet slap of skin on skin contact echoed around the cavernous space.

Just as Neji was coming, one of Shu's hands wrapped around him, working him roughly. He pulled out and grabbed his own erection in his other hand, bringing them both to orgasm together. Their essences mixed as they landed on Neji's flat stomach.

Shu moved to the side and collapsed beside Neji, his breathing heavy and ragged.

"Oi! New boy."

Neji looked over to see The Russian on his seat, cock still stiff in his hand. "Get over here."

Neji looked to Shukaku with worried eyes. "Why don't you let me..." Shu started.

"No, I want _him_. Now get over here boy", The Russian demanded.

His tone left no room for argument; however the defiant boy pushed on. "Really, I can do it. He doesn't even have any experie-"

"Shut it Shukaku. You", The Russian pointed to Neji. "Get over here, now."

Neji stood from the bed and walked toward the large man; he could feel the product of his and Shu's release running slowly down his stomach and thighs. When he reached him, the man pointed to the floor.

"On your knees."

Neji lowered himself, and a rough hand yanked him forward by the hair. Neji gasped in pain, and then that long cock was shoved down his throat.

Neji had never deep-throated before; his eyes began to water furiously and his gag reflex locked down, trying to expel the member. He pushed and clawed at the man, trying to pull back and escape. His lungs burned with the need for air, and his struggles became fiercer. He heard Shu yell, "Let him go! He can't breathe!"

Finally, Neji was released, and fell back onto the floor. Dry heaves wracked his body, contracting his stomach muscles in painful repetition. He hadn't eaten anything since the previous day, so nothing came of his retching.

Neji had tears streaming down his face; saliva hung from his mouth in transparent strings as he coughed and gagged. Shukaku crouched next to him, rubbing his back and smoothing his hair. After his fit subsided, Neji looked up at their handler with hate-filled eyes. It seemed to amuse him, and he let out a deep chuckle. "Yeah, that's right. Give me that look boy; I can't wait to wipe it off your pretty little face. Now get back over here. I didn't come yet."

Shu gave Neji a warning look. "Do it", he mouthed.

Neji forced himself to crawl back over to the man, but the man didn't force his head down again. Instead, the Russian pulled Neji up onto his lap so that he was astride him. His scent was an affront to Neji, all vodka and too much cologne.

"Ride me, boy."

Neji took the man inside himself painfully, being stretched well past his limits. The Russian was much larger than Shu, but Neji ground his teeth and kept going until they were fully connected. Neji let the large man guide his hips to whatever pace he wanted, praying for it to end as he bounced up and down.

After a few minutes, he was guided back onto the floor on his knees.

"Open your mouth."

Neji did as he was told, bracing himself for another oral assault. The man simply placed the head of his erection inside Neji's mouth. Neji cringed when the salty liquid shot onto his tongue.

Neji's first instinct was to spit, and he leaned forward to do so but Shukaku slapped a hand over his mouth, whispering lowly in his ear, "Swallow it."

He honestly tried, but his gag reflex was still on high alert, and he couldn't choke it down. In the end, Neji did spit it out.

When he looked up at the Russian, he was met with eyes that were as cold as ice. The large hand made contact with the side of his face, hard enough to sting, but not to bruise. "This will be your only warning. You will always take what I give you, and you will be grateful." His hand made contact one more time for good measure before he stood and instructed Shukaku to take him to his room.

However, before the pair could make it out of the room, they heard the growling voice. "I think I will call you _Kaiten_... rest up Kaiten, you and I are going to have lots of fun together very soon."

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Shukaku and Neji would be sharing a room. It was little more than a closet with two cots shoved into it. The walls were concrete with chipped red paint, and the only light source was a bald light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It was cramped and dim, but it was clean and Neji was glad that he was staying with this boy. Shu had tried to help him, and he'd been as gentle as he could under the circumstances.

"Do you want some?" Shukaku was tapping white powder out onto a small mirror.

"Yes... please."

Shukaku used a small razor blade to separate the powder into long, thin lines before he took a cut-off straw and put it in his nose.

Two of the little lines disappeared as he sucked them into the straw. He handed Neji the mirror and straw. Shukaku laid back on his bed, still sniffling.

Neji almost chickened out but he needed an escape; he was about ten seconds from having a mental breakdown. So he took the straw and snorted up one of the neat lines. It made his eyes water like he was going to sneeze, but then it took effect, numbing his nose and throat. He could feel it drumming through his bloodstream, taking him to a faraway place where he wasn't living in this nightmare.

"Can I lay with you?" Neji asked tentatively.

Shukaku just scooted over and held his arm out in invitation. Neji crawled into his embrace and wrapped himself around the pale boy, burying his face into the cinnamon-scented skin.

Lowly, quietly, Shukaku began to sing to him, his French accent smoothing the words into a beautiful lullaby. "_May the road rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields. And my dearest friend, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the palm of his hand."_

Neither of them slept, but they lay there until the haze of drugs passed from them and they began talking. Neji learned that Shukaku had been working for Ibiki Morino for just over two years; his father had 'sold' him to the man to pay off gambling debts.

In return, Neji told him what little he could about himself. The Elders had been clear when they told him that the family business and his involvement in it was strictly private and any sign of non-compliance would be met with swift and brutal action.

Over the following weeks, Shu and 'Kaiten' grew closer, the bond between them unlike anything that either boy had ever experienced. Shu taught him the ins and outs of working for Ibiki. He discovered that the wily boy acted as a protector not just for Neji, but for all of the boys working in the brothel. More than once he saw Shu receive a punishment on behalf of someone else, but the ginger boy stood firm and shielded others whenever he could.

Neji and Shu weren't 'in love', but they did love each other. Their feelings were something like a brotherhood, a kinship that ran as deep as the very blood in their veins. The pair of them lived in a world drenched in sex, and the sexual component to their dynamic wasn't something that they questioned. Their relationship wasn't sexual in and of itself, but they had sex. Sometimes for Neji to learn some new lesson, other times it was just to erase the feeling of strangers touches from their flesh.

Over the months of his stay at the brothel, Neji sunk deeper into addiction. A whole world of drugs opened up to him and he tried them all, anything he could get his hands on. Neji shot, snorted, smoked and swallowed anything and everything he was offered, polluting his body with poison. Cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, marijuana, amphetamines… the list went on. However, his true weakness was the most brutal, and the hardest to attain... heroin.

In order to cop his favorite fix, Neji had to go directly to the source- Ibiki. But the Russian would never give him anything he didn't 'earn'. Ibiki was into the darkest and most violent sexual shit Neji had ever experienced, but it didn't stop Neji from finding himself outside that door over and over again. He couldn't recall how many times he went to that dark room, ready to beg for his drugs like the strung-out junkie he had become.

There was some part of him that craved the things Ibiki did to him. However, he wished that it were someone else, someone who he trusted, and that cared for him. He wanted someone to service his desires, not for their own selfish pleasure, but who would want to share in it with him and pull them both into the harsh tides of ecstasy.

Ibiki was not that man. He was self-serving and offered no safe words, no reprieve from his own savage ends. One took what he gave until he was satisfied; screams and cries of protest didn't matter to him. He was empty of pity or empathy; all he felt was his own pleasure.

Over and over, Neji would enter that room, and emerge more grim and hopeless. He would limp away covered in bruises, his own sweat and blood mixed with various other bodily fluids that didn't all belong to him. His wrists and ankles still held scars from the biting metal cuffs that the Russian used to detain him. But clutched in his hand would always be his prize - his little baggies, filled with his favorite escape.

The young Hyuuga's life bled into an endless string of days and nights, punctuated by the nameless, faceless bodies of his 'clients'. They came to him and he gave them pleasure. Men and women both would seek him out, and he would give them what they wanted, gaining a savage kind of pleasure at knowing he was the object of their desire. Their demand for him likened to his own dependence on his needle, and he reveled in it. All he knew was sex - it surrounded him, suffocated him, and he drank it all in, allowing it to fuel his drug-addled mind further into the chaotic madness that filled his every waking minute.

Even when he was alone, Neji could feel the parade of hands and mouths still on his skin. He couldn't escape his own mind, and every time he got too close to the ledge, Shu was there to pull him back. Shukaku was his rock, his one handhold against the hurricane of depression and anger that had taken up permanent residence in his heart and mind. No matter what he needed the redhead was always there, already offering it.

On his best days, it could include a sympathetic ear or someone to hold him. On his worst days it could mean anything from rough sex to needing someone to shoot him up when his hands shook too badly to do it himself.

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(Present Day)

Neji could hear how fast Shikamaru's heart was beating from his monitor. Neji sat in the chair next to the bed with his head in his hands as he revealed a story he had sworn to himself never to tell anyone. But Shikamaru Nara wasn't just anyone, not to the Hyuuga. Somewhere deep inside himself he knew that if anyone could help Neji - _heal_ him - it was this strong, brilliant man.

Now that he had started, the words poured out of him. Neji felt them fall from his lips like bile, just as bitter and revolting. His worst fears and deepest insecurities could be tracked back to his time in Paris, but he laid it all out for Shikamaru to judge.

"Eventually they came for me, but I didn't want to go without Shu. I begged and pleaded for them to let me take him with me, but in the end I was dragged back home. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye, or to thank him for saving my life... I went back to that place as soon as I could, but it was completely cleared out, and everyone was gone, including Shukaku."

"Neji..." Shikamaru said gently. "Neji, look at me."

The long-haired man didn't want to look up from the floor to see disgust- or even worse, pity - in that dark gaze.

"Please baby, look at me."

Neji tore his eyes from the ground and forced them up to the face his lover. What he saw there took his breath away. There was no pity, no revulsion; it was absolute adoration. It was love, understanding and... pride.

"I love you."

Those words from the mouth of his partner were Neji's undoing. He didn't deserve a man like Shikamaru; Neji was a murderer, a thief, a whore and a whole list of other things that made him unworthy of the love Shikamaru so readily offered him. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. He crawled up onto Shikamaru's bed and lay next to him as his body quaked with the intensity of his emotions. The Nara simply stroked his back soothingly and whispered words of praise and love until Neji's breathing slowed and he fell asleep.

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(Two Weeks Later)

Shikamaru was finally released from the hospital and cleared to go back to work, on desk duty _only._ His doctor had forbidden him from going into the field for any reason.

Neji and Shikamaru were walking through CIA Headquarters, headed for the Nara's cramped office. The pair had to stop frequently to allow the injured agent catch his breath. As they made their way around a corner, Shikamaru huffed "hey, there's Naruto and his new partner."

Neji followed the agent's gaze and felt his heart jump into his throat. Next to Naruto stood a too-familiar man bearing a mop of brilliant red spikes. Before Neji could tame his tongue the name shot from his mouth.

"SHUKAKU!"

The tall red-haired man froze mid-sentence, cold aqua eyes turned slowly to him. "The fuck did you just sa- _Kaiten?"_

Neji wasn't sure if it was real. How could it be? He had just been telling Shika about this man, and here he was in the flesh. The voice was much deeper than it had been, but the French accent and the smooth monotone of his voice were unchanged.

The world froze around them; everyone watched in fascination as the two men moved toward each other. They moved slowly at first, as if unsure what they were seeing, but gaining speed as if proximity was magnetizing them to each other.

The collective mouths of every person in the hall fell open as Agent Gaara Sabaku - the cold, unfeeling man who despised any form of touch, who had broken a man's arm just for grabbing his shoulder - fell into a full-body embrace with Neji Hyuuga. They pulled back and both reached up to each other, cupping around the other's face as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

And then, the most shocking thing of all happened. Gaara smiled.

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HELLO ALL! Hope you liked the new chapter! Thank you all for hanging in there with me! I know It takes me FOREVER to update, but I hope you know that you guys are the reason why!

All of the positive feedback I've gotten has really meant so much! You guys are the reason I keep writing!

As usual, if you want the sneak peek please drop me a line and I will send it to you. If you don't have an account, give me your email and I will send it to you that way!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	16. Chapter 16

Hello! Thank you for reading! I want to thank all my wonderful readers for their amazing feedback! I love hearing from you and hope to keep it up!

Sadly, there will be no sneak peek this time. I know, I suck. But the next chapter is going to be something that needs to be read kind of all at once. You will understand when you get to the end of this chapter...

Also, I realized I forgot to say thank you to my super duper amazing Beta, PRISM0467. She is so awesome for dealing with me, so a super special double thanks with Neji's cherry on top for her.

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Shikamaru couldn't believe what was happening. Gaara Sabaku had turned out to be the person from Neji's story - the one called 'Shukaku'. In a way, it made sense. Gaara hated physical contact, and Shikamaru realized that the phobia probably stemmed from the things Neji had told him about, what Ibiki's 'employees' were put through. It was a perfectly rational response for someone to loathe physical touch when it had been forced upon him in the worst imaginable way, and so often used to inflict pain.

The Nara wanted to feel sorry for the redhead, but he realized that pitying him was an insult. Gaara had escaped that life, and he had trained and become one of the most skilled and well-respected agents of his day. Maybe he had a bit of a reputation as an arrogant, humorless asshole, but Shikamaru couldn't help but remember the things Neji had said about his friend - how he had protected the other boys at great personal risk, and how he had cared for the Hyuuga when he was on the brink of losing himself.

No one had yet been able to pull Neji and Gaara from each other, not that any had really tried. Most people feared them both. The exception seemed to be limited to Shikamaru and Naruto.

Shikamaru was honestly happy for the reunited pair. Neji was one of the kindest and most generous people he had ever met. If anyone in the world deserved something good, Shikamaru was sure it was Neji. He had been through a lot, and finally he had been given this gift: the return of his friend, a man he thought lost to him forever. It was truly a miracle that they had found each other again so unexpectedly.

However, there was a tiny covetous voice in his head that didn't approve of this new 'touchy-feely' Gaara. He pushed away the niggle of jealousy worming its way into his gut and tried to focus on the positive. Although that would have been easier if the agent weren't so utterly attractive. He was taller than both Neji and Shikamaru, topping out somewhere around 6'5". His face was perfectly symmetrical, with a chiseled jaw and beautiful jade green eyes edged by thick red lashes. Unlike the rest of his hair, his eyebrows were pale blond and blended so perfectly with his skin tone he appeared not to have any. He moved like some loping predator, graceful but powerful. He reminded Shikamaru of some wild, exotic beast. Stunning, but absolutely lethal.

Neji didn't seem to notice these things about him. He spoke with Gaara like a friend, and the Nara didn't detect any note of flirtation or coy appreciation in his gaze or mannerism. Honestly, it reminded him of the way Ino looked at and talked to him. It was as if they were... brothers.

Even though they were touching, it seemed almost innocent. The two of them had the most unusual dynamic; Neji would brush the back of a hand over Gaara's cheek, or the Sabaku would finger the long strands of chocolate hair hanging between them. But the acts were loving in a way Shikamaru couldn't explain until he took into account their past.

In the time they had known each other, contact between themselves and others had always been something abominable. But when they touched each other, it wasn't in a sexual way. Even though their kinship had consisted of sex, it hadn't been forced on them other than that first time. With each other, contact was safe. They didn't have to worry about the sinful desires of others. It was mutual understanding and trust that existed between them and Shikamaru realized he had nothing to be jealous of. It didn't matter how gorgeous Gaara was, and it didn't matter that Neji was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Neji and Gaara could never have that kind of lust for each other.

"I should have known it was you when Naruto told me someone shot Ibiki. Were you aiming for his groin or was it just a lucky shot?" Neji had Gaara's hand clasped between his own, as he looked to the pale man with amused eyes.

Gaara smirked a devilish grin that was all pirate. "I plead the fifth." Gaara's voice was deep and husky, heavily inflected by his French accent. "Who is Naruto?"

Neji's brows crinkled. "Uzumaki. Your partner... how do you not know your own partner's first name?"

The agent waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, you mean the moron."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to defend the blond, but Neji beat him to the punch. "Don't talk about him that way." He released the pale hand and scooted back, as though trying to put distance between himself and the redhead's comment. "He helped save my life."

Invisible eyebrows raised in question to his statement. "Really?" Gaara didn't seem convinced.

"Yes. Really", Neji confirmed. "He also faced his past in a way I wouldn't wish on anyone, and he did it to obtain the information that saved my life." Neji gave the redhead a stern look that reminded Shikamaru of a schoolteacher. "You should give him a chance; he is a good agent and a good man."

Gaara considered his partner. The sunny blond was loud and outgoing, but Gaara couldn't see what about him could invoke such loyalty from Neji. When he thought about it though, it seemed that Uzumaki had a lot of friends. No matter where they went in the building, there was always someone who wanted to talk to him. "Maybe."

Neji smiled, seeing the surrender for what it was.

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Naruto looked over at his partner as the redhead perused a thick file with a bored expression. He wished the other agent would loosen up around him. Every time he tried to strike up a conversation, he got shot down with rude, snide remarks. Naruto wasn't one to give up however, and he took a stab once again.

"So, how do you know Neji?"

Gaara's first instinct was to blow the other off, but he thought of what the Hyuuga had said about the blond. "We met a long time ago, in Paris."

Naruto lit up at the response, thinking that maybe he was finally making headway with the ill-tempered agent. "Like when you did undercover work or something?"

Technically, a lot of it _had_ happened under covers, but "...no."

"Then how-"

"It's none of your business. Leave it the fuck alone!"

Naruto was surprised at the outburst. Gaara hardly ever spoke, and Naruto had never heard him raise his voice. His anger deepened the redhead's baritone even further and amplified his French accent to the point it was almost impossible to understand him. "Sorry... or whatever", Gaara grumbled. "Why do you even care?"

Naruto leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, locking his blue eyes with Gaara's green. "I am your partner; it's my job to care. I want this assignment to work, but you are going to need to pitch in. I can't keep us going all by myself. I don't care about your past, if you don't want to share it. All I want is for you to try _a little,_ okay?"

Gaara sat back and rubbed a pale hand over his red spikes before letting out a sigh. "Okay."

For the first time, Gaara really looked at his partner. He was tallish, maybe around 6'1", and his skin was bronze, like he spent more time outdoors than in. His blond hair was naturally lightened by the sun, making the tips nearly platinum blond. Naruto's eyes were a beautiful cerulean color, offset perfectly by his dark lashes and arching blond brows. Even Gaara, who had strictly given up sex for all eternity, had to admit that the agent was a stunning example of male perfection.

"Great. So, do you want to grab a bite to eat? It's about time to head out for the night."

Gaara wasn't sure how to respond; people didn't usually invite him to share meals with them. Most everyone found his dry sarcasm and apathetic attitude off-putting. "Sure, I guess."

Naruto's smile was brilliant as he stood up and motioned to the door. "Fantastic! Let's go."

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Neji walked Shikamaru up to his apartment, not wanting to leave the Nara alone. Shika had insisted that he go home to visit Hinata and get some proper rest.

"Are you sure you don't need me to stay? Or I could call Ino."

"I am fine Mother Hen. Although, I am going to miss having you with me all the time."

Neji lit up at the praise, his beauty magnified by his happiness as his lips split into a brilliant smile. His pale cheeks flushed and he looked down and let his curtain of hair fall between them. Shikamaru had never seen this shy side of his lover before. It was somehow incredibly sexy, although he had to admit, he found everything Neji did arousing.

"I love you", the Nara whispered as he leaned forward and pushed aside Neji's hair to capture his full lips in a searing kiss. Neji immediately opened to him, allowing him to plunge his tongue inside and taste the fiery passion of his lover. They released twin groans as their mouths melded, the increase in stress and lack of sexual release made them into a ticking time bomb.

Before he knew it, Neji was pressed up against the door, with Shikamaru's body pressed tightly to his. Neji could feel the tingle of blood pooling in his groin as his cock lengthened, and made his jeans uncomfortably tight and restricting. Shikamaru was in a similar state; Neji could feel every inch of his excitement where their bodies were connected.

The spell was broken for Neji as his partner's breathing turned ragged, his air coming in short gasps. The long-haired man pushed the other away. "What's wrong, baby?" The agent asked, out of breath.

"You can barely breathe; it's too soon. This can wait until you are better."

"I'm fine. Please... I need you." He emphasized his words by pressing their hips together, sliding against Neji's throbbing, needy erection.

"Ah! Shit! Shika... mmmnn..." Neji squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip in an attempt to stifle the moan that wanted to escape. His eyes opened to see his lover's dark gaze looking at him with a hunger so profound it caught his breath short. "Alright. Get inside."

Shikamaru's smile was triumphant. "Excellent. I'm glad you see things my way."

Once the door closed behind them, the Nara made a move to grab him, but Neji stepped out of his reach. "Ah, ah, ah... you are still healing, which means that I am going to be in charge here. You are going to lay back and let me to all the work."

Neji didn't wait for a response, he simply turned and walked back toward the bedroom, stripping his clothes off and dropping them in a trail behind him.

Shikamaru had no choice but to follow, drawn by the sight of the creamy, ivory skin being slowly revealed to him. He walked into his room to see his partner's full nudity, his waist-length hair cascaded over his toned, muscular body. The Nara was again struck by his beauty, and wondered what he had done in a past life to deserve this reward.

"You are so fucking beautiful."

But it wasn't Shikamaru who spoke. Neji was looking at him like he was the only man in the world, as if he was beholding some priceless piece of art. He was looking at Shikamaru with love; so much emotion and trust shone from him that he glowed with it.

"I love you so much, baby", was all Shikamaru could say in response.

The Hyuuga went to him and began removing his clothing. Shikamaru let him do as he pleased, and soon found himself in a similar state of undress. He was pushed back until he felt the bed against his legs and sat down. Neji crouched between Shikamaru's legs, pulling his hair to one side and leaning forward until he could press a kiss to the area all around his bandages.

When he looked up, there was so much regret in his white gaze. "Don't you dare apologize. You saved my life."

"Okay."

Neji didn't sound completely convinced, but he didn't say anything more. Neji's kisses trailed down the other man's body, stopping to dip his tongue into Shikamaru's navel.

The Nara groaned; Neji's lips ghosted over the head of his diamond-hard member, making the other toss his head back in ecstasy. The lightness of the touch magnified the sensation.

"_Oh_... baby that feels amazing."

Neji snaked his tongue out and swirled it around the tip, gathering the substantial amount of pre-cum and giving his partner one hell of a show. Neji opened his mouth and took the cock, slowly letting it slide past his lips and into his hot mouth. He used his tongue to massage the underside of the erection as his other hand came up and cradled the tightened weight of his balls.

Shikamaru could barely contain the shaking in his limbs, as he fought his climax. "God! Please Nej... I need to be inside you."

Neji pulled back until just the tip remained, and said around his mouthful, "You _are_ inside me."

The vibrations of his words nearly threw Shikamaru over the edge, and he ground his teeth with the strain of holding back. "You know what I mean."

Neji released him and licked his lips with a smile before reaching over to the bedside table and fishing the bottle of lube out of the drawer.

He crawled up onto the bed and lay next to his lover. He opened the bottle and poured the liquid onto his fingers. His hand moved down his body to his entrance. He plunged one long finger inside himself and groaned low in his throat.

Shikamaru rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his good arm to watch Neji prepare himself. He could see the Hyuuga's hand moving between his legs; his eyes were squeezed shut and his lip was caught between his teeth. Shikamaru felt his cock pulse with desire at the sight.

Neji's free hand reached over and grasped his lover's swollen sex, stroking it in time to his thrusting fingers. When he was prepared, Neji withdrew his hand from himself and sat up. He guided Shikamaru up onto the bed, so he was propped at a slight angle on the pillows.

He mounted Shikamaru with his back facing the Nara and lowered himself slowly onto his lover's shaft.

Shikamaru whimpered as he looked down his body, he could see his length slowly disappearing between his partner's pale cheeks. He closed his eyes from the sight and took a few deep breaths to regain his restraint.

Neji immediately set a fast, harsh pace that was bringing both males to the edge quickly. Both would have liked it to last, but were too far gone to regain any sense of control.

Shikamaru lifted his lids to see the most erotic sight he had ever witnessed. Neji was moving up and down on his cock, impaling himself over and over as his back arched and his head thrown back; his curtain of hair fell down behind him and swung back and forth across Shikamaru's tanned chest and abs.

The tickle of Neji's hair made his balls clench painfully as he tried to hold himself in check. Shikamaru's large hands grabbed Neji's slim hips in a punishing grip as he used what leverage he had to piston his hips upward, increasing the already frantic pace into an animalistic frenzy.

Every pounding thrust pushed against Neji's prostate, making his head spin as he tried to keep pace with the Nara's momentum. His release came almost forcefully; exquisite agony took hold of him as he was lost to the raging tide of his pleasure. Shikamaru's name fell from his mouth over and over as he trembled and shivered in the aftershocks of sex.

The tightening of Neji's walls was too much for Shikamaru who let himself go; his orgasm was almost painful after holding back for so long. Neji's name left his lips on a growl as he shot deep inside his lover.

Neji gently removed himself and collapsed next to the Nara, whose breaths were once again ragged and uneven.

"I guess you _could_ stay with me one more night."

Grinning, Neji got up from the bed slowly, ignoring the slight pain in his backside as he pulled the Nara up and led him to the shower.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Gaara was shocked that he actually kind of enjoyed Naruto's company. Usually he just couldn't be bothered to even give someone a chance, but Kaiten... _Neji_ had given his approval of Naruto. That alone made him relax his defenses slightly and let himself get to know more about his new partner.

Naruto had a quick wit, and seemed to have a knack for making people relax around him. His sense of humor was self-deprecating, and designed to make others more comfortable. It also didn't hurt that he had saved the life of the only person Gaara could call a friend.

Neji's words may have been the reason Gaara was giving the blond a chance, but the more he talked to him, the more the redhead began to realize he liked the Uzumaki of his own accord.

Naruto was talking between bites of his dinner, gesturing wildly with his hands; his face expressed every emotion in his story. Gaara had never met someone so open with their thoughts and feelings; he liked that he could see every thought in the line of his jaw and the crinkle of his eyes. Honestly, the redhead found him fascinating.

"So, I was in Thailand on an assignment to find this human trafficking operation. We get a tip that the headquarters is run out of this house, so we bust in there thinking we're about to take down a bunch of armed thugs. Inside is this nice little family in the middle of dinner, and here we come busting in, guns drawn, ready to take on a bunch of armed gangsters. Turns out that Sasuke..."

Naruto paused in his story, a dark shadow passed over his features. Gaara wondered who that person was, and why it had made the blond so sad when he'd spoken his name. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Naruto picked back up.

"Uh... yeah. So, he translated the address wrong, and we are freaking out trying to figure out what happened. This little old woman, who couldn't have been a day under eighty, hobbles out and starts beating me with a rolling pin because she thought we were trying to rob them. Man, it was a mess."

Gaara's laugh was deep and rich; it shivered through Naruto with a pleasant rumble. It made Naruto pause in his own amusement to listen. He couldn't help but see how different his partner's face was when he wasn't scowling. The redhead was drop-dead gorgeous.

He seemed unaware of the effect he had on other people. They slowed as they passed, and people around them stole covert glances or just downright stared at Gaara.

"Who's Sasuke?"

The sudden question came with a familiar twinge of pain in his chest. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. The name was still enough to make his heart throb in regret. "He was my partner, before you."

Something in the way he said it made Gaara realize that they had shared more than a business relationship. "You loved him." It wasn't a question.

Naruto didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

"What happened?" Gaara prompted.

"I don't really know. I thought we were happy, but one day he just disappeared. No goodbye, no note, not even a 'fuck you'. I thought for a while that maybe he had been kidnapped or something. But then, all these rumors started up about him in the criminal underworld, and I realized the truth. He hadn't been forced to leave. He had left of his own free will. As horrible as it is, sometimes I wish he had just been killed. It's just so much worse to know that he _chose_ to leave me."

"He is an idiot."

Naruto smiled weakly at Gaara's summation of Sasuke. "Actually, he is a genius."

Gaara looked onto the true face of Naruto for the first time. Not the happy, smiling veneer he showed the rest of the world, but the sad and broken man who had been abandoned by his lover. And he realized that they had something in common. They hid themselves from people: Naruto behind his happy-go-lucky attitude and himself behind his cold anger and detached sarcasm.

"Thank you for coming tonight", Naruto spoke. "I am happy that we are working on this partnership."

"Yeah. Sorry you got stuck with me." Gaara ruffled his red hair, a nervous habit.

"What are you talking about? I requested you as my new partner."

"Why?" His tone was full of honest confusion. "Everyone knows I'm crazy."

"Because you do great work. I don't care what others think or say. I wanted to work with you because you are a damn fine agent; and underneath everything, and as much as you try to hide it, I think you are also a good person."

Gaara was actually flattered. If there was one thing in his life that he prided himself on, it was his work. Having someone appreciate it was... nice.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Neji and Shikamaru lay in the Nara's huge bed as Shikamaru played with strands of Neji's long chocolate hair. The silent comfort of each other's presence was relaxing.

"Hey Nej."

"Hmm?" Neji was half asleep from the rapture of the Nara's hands in his hair.

"What color were your eyes, you know... before?"

White eyes opened and focused on a tanned face. "I was born with heterochromia. I had one blue eye and one green."

Shikamaru leaned over and kissed under each of his lover's pale eyes and then pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead. "I need to tell you something."

Neji's brows furrowed at the serious tone in Shikamaru's voice. "What is it?"

"It's nothing about you and me, but you will probably find out eventually, and I don't want you to think I was hiding it from you."

Neji frowned deeply. This didn't sound good. "Shika, you're kind of scaring me."

"It's about my wife."

Neji bolted up in bed and scooted away from the Nara. "You're married?!"

"No. I _was_ married."

Neji relaxed slightly. "Maybe you should start from the beginning."

Shika scrubbed his face with his hands and looked over to Neji with dark penetrating gaze. "Don't judge me too harshly. Okay?"

Neji saw the deep regret and sadness inside the man he loved. After everything that Shikamaru had learned about _him_, how could he possibly think that Neji could sit in judgment of anyone else? Neji answered by moving back toward the agent and taking his hand. He pressed a kiss to their entwined fingers and held then held them to his chest over his heart.

"Okay, tell me."

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Thanks for reading. PLEASE REVIEW!


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